Bolnisi Municipality is one of the most active members of the Mayors for Economic Growth (M4EG) initiative, supported by the European Union. In June 2017, the municipality joined the initiative and swiftly began the implementation of its Local Economic Development Plan, which had been commended by the World Bank’s technical experts.  

We recently developed an investment catalogue for Kutaisi (aiming to stimulate domestic and foreign direct investments in the city) and an export catalogue for Imereti region (showcasing products of the region’s leading manufacturers).  

We are pleased to announce that we recently became a member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), the world’s largest and most influential professional association, headquartered in US.

We are working in Zugdidi municipality to enhance the sanitary conditions of the local population in Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti region by improving its solid waste management system. Our work in the region entails the construction of regional sanitary landfills and transfer stations, the closure of existing landfills, the extension and improvement of street sweeping, as well as waste collection and waste transport.

In Georgia, the average cost of a room1 in a 3-star hotel was 135 GEL per night in June 2020. While the average cost of a room in a 4-star hotel in Georgia was 223 GEL per night and the average cost of a room in a guesthouse2 was 73 GEL per night. The average cost of a room in a 5-star hotel in Georgia in June 2020 was 322 GEL per night. In Tbilisi, the average price was 471 GEL, followed by Kakheti - 327 GEL, Samtskhe-Javakheti - 279 GEL and Adjara – 273 GEL.

It’s been five years after DCFTA was implemented and two years have passed since FTA with China. It is interesting to conduct ex-post analysis to find out how these FTAs affected Georgia’s economy. Goal of ex-post analysis will be to determine what qualitative and quantitative impacts are observed after Georgia signed DCFTA and FTA with China, on macro and sectoral levels. Also, the research paper will try to find if DCFTA and FTA with China resulted in welfare gains. To be more precise, the paper aims to determine whether the increase in trade was a result of trade creation or trade was diverted.Another aim is to analyze quantitative effects on imports and exports on different aggregation levels. For conclusion, research paper will analyze differences and similarities between DCFTA and FTA with China and based on these empirical findings, the research will identify possible threats and opportunities, which may come from future free trade agreements.

The main objective of the research is to study the impacts that free trade agreements with the EU (DCFTA) and China had on Georgian economy and political implications that they might result in.

This policy brief attempts to understand China-Georgia relations. Georgia-China economic relations have received particular attention, yet there is a relative lack of research5 on how both Georgia and China see bilateral relations, and what possible factors could be limiting the depth of the partnership. Discussing this is important as Georgia is building closer ties with the EU in particular, and the Western institutions and states in general, while China’s suggested model of development stands opposite to Western liberal order.

The investment catalogue for Kutaisi to stimulate domestic and foreign direct investments in the city.

The export catalog for Imereti Region, showcasing products of the region’s leading manufacturers.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, global FDI is expected to fall by 30-40% in 2020 (UNCTAD), while the decrease in Georgia is forecast at 19% (IMF); Net FDI inflows have been decreasing in Georgia since 2017, based on both, yearly and Q1 data; Net FDI inflows in Georgia experience volatility over time, due to large one-off investment projects; Georgia has been leading among EaP countries in terms of the share of FDI in GDP in 2017 and 2018; Net FDI inflows decreased by 41.7% in Q1 of 2020, compared to Q1 in 2019, mainly due to COVID-19 pandemic.

The Government of Georgia introduced various support measures in order to alleviate the burden of the COVID-19 crisis on tourism industry in the period between March and May of 2020. The Government of Georgia, namely GNTA, operated 84 hotels during the lockdown, which served 19 002 Georgian citizens as a quarantine zone. The total cost of providing quarantine zones from the budget amounted 32.5 mln GEL. The Government of Georgia, developed mandatory recommendations for prevention of the spread of COVID-19 on June 5th. In May 2020, hotel prices do not provide an accurate guidance of the situation in accommodation market due to the fact that the market for accommodations is non-existent due to COVID-19 pandemic.

In Georgia, the average cost of a room in a 3-star hotel was 126 GEL per night in May 2020. While the average cost of a room in a 4-star hotel in Georgia was 214 GEL per night and the average cost of a room in a guesthouse was 71 GEL per night. The average cost of a room in a 5-star hotel in Georgia in May 2020 was 362 GEL per night. In Tbilisi, the average price was 534 GELfollowed by Kakheti - 325 GEL and Imereti – 95 GEL.