A nationally representative sample of around 350 Georgians, interviewed in early September 2019, reveals that the Consumer Confidence Index (CCI) has deteriorated by 1 index point; from -18 in August to -19.3 in September. A similar pattern was observed in both sub-indices: the Present Situation Index dropped by 2.2 index points (from -21.3 to -23.5) and the Expectations Index experienced a slight decline of 0.4 index points (from -14.7 to -15.1).

The Constitution of Georgia states “The State shall take care of human health care and social protection, ensuring the subsistence minimum and decent housing, and protecting the welfare of the family" (Constitution of Georgia, Article 5, 2017). However, at the moment, Georgian legislation is characterized by a lack of laws and regulations that clearly define the responsibilities of public institutions to solve housing-related issues in the country. To address this issue, the Government of Georgia (GoG) has established a working group including key stakeholders operating on social housing issues, led by top representatives of the Ministry of Internally Displaced Persons from the Occupied Territories, Labour, Health and Social Affairs of Georgia.

On October 25th, ISET was visited by Dr. Robert A. Lawson of the Fraser Institute. In a highly entertaining and often humorous lecture, Dr. Lawson discussed a wide variety of topics, including the notion of economic freedom, research into economic liberty, as well as Georgian reforms since 2004, and recommendations for future development.

The Khachapuri Index reached its historical maximum in October 2019. The Index continued its upward trend which started in May 2019 and took a big leap in October 2019. The average cost of cooking one standard Imeretian khachapuri reached 3.90 GEL, which is 6.6% higher month-on-month (compared to September 2019) and 8.6% higher year-on-year (compared to October 2018).

In September 2019, Georgian power plants generated 821 mln. kWh of electricity. This represents a 3% decrease in total generation, compared to the previous year (in September 2018, the total generation was 849 mln. kWh). The decrease in generation on a yearly basis comes from the decrease of 11% separately in wind and hydropower generation, more than offsetting the increase in thermal power generation (+29%).