ISET Policy Institute implemented the project Shadow Analysis for Georgia in partnership with Ernst & Young Poland. Under the framework of the project, the ISET -PI team performed the following activities:

According to Geostat’s rapid estimates of GDP growth, Georgia’s economy continues expanding at a moderately high pace, reaching 4.7% in the first quarter of 2019. Geostat’s Q1 growth figure fell below the National Bank of Georgia’s (NBG) 5% projection for annual growth in 2019. Meanwhile, based on the March data, ISET PI’s annual GDP growth forecast was 4.9%.

Economics plays a pivotal role in the life of any nation (and thereby influence the circumstances of its citizens), and as any ISET graduate will testify, it is hardly the simplest of disciplines. Even someone who has spent years studying the subject will find certain aspects difficult to explain to those with a limited understanding, or even stray into territory which becomes subjective and a matter of opinion.

Our dependence on smartphones can hardly be described as anything other than addictive. We invariably use them to document trips and thus to have the world at our fingertips. Though, these precious little gadgets have a dark history that we, as consumers, unconsciously support. Unfortunately, we will not be able to discuss in detail all the negative impacts within the supply chain of smartphones.

The average cost of cooking one standard Imeretian khachapuri in April 2019 varied across Georgian cities, from 3.21 GEL (the price in Kutaisi) to 3.57 GEL (in Telavi). The overall average price was 3.47 GEL, which is 1.3% lower compared to the previous month (March 2019), and 5.5% higher compared to the same month of last year (April 2018). The change in yearly terms was driven by increases in three of the core ingredients: cheese prices went up by 9.5%, followed by flour (7.6%), and butter (1.7%).