In order to equip citizens with knowledge and information on political parties' programs and help voters explore which political party is closest to their views, the ISET Policy Institute participated in designing and implementing Election Compass Georgia, a collaborative effort of Georgian institutions and countries' development partner organizations.
In June 2020, the average cost of cooking one standard portion of Imeretian khachapuri was 3.93 GEL. Compared to the previous year (June 2019), the Khachapuri Index gained 13%. While going up in yearly terms, the Index actually dropped by 4.2% compared to the previous month (May 2020).
In a first for Georgia's education sector, the ISET MA Class of 2020 underwent its graduation ceremony entirely online. Guest speakers – including Minister of Education Mikheil Chkenkeli, ISET Governing Board Director Jean-Frederic Paulsen, and Deputy Swedish Ambassador Erik Illes – appeared over Zoom, followed by members of the Class of 2020 itself, and finishing with an address by Valedictorian Guram Lobzhanidze.
On 28 May, Georgia announced its fourth anti-crisis plan, in which the government will subsidize 4 percent of the interest rate of mortgage loans for five years. The subsidy will be issued for loans not exceeding 200,000 GEL and will only apply to those taking mortgages for the purchase of residential apartments that are newly built or under construction, from 1 June 2020 to 1 January 2021. The state will also ensure the completion of ongoing construction.
The Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) has proved to be an effective policy-making tool and has been integrated into policy and legislative processes in an increasing number of countries. Over the last few years, the Government of Georgia has embarked on the process of institutionalizing RIA as an integral part of policy-making.