The state budget for 2019 is currently being discussed in Parliament and must be approved by the end of the year. According to the revised version (second version), the total budget will be around 13 billion GEL. Out of which, the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture (MEPA) will get 332 million GEL (2.4% of the total budget).

As part of its MA in Economics program, ISET has launched a new Concentration in Modern Data Analysis (MDA), which is aimed at providing young professionals with expertise in data (including big data) management and analysis using modern analytical tools.

I have been living away from Yerevan for four years. Over these years, every time I visited my city, I noticed more and more new (and fancy) cafes. Over time, I also noticed that café visits seemed to grow in numbers and I started wondering whether it was just my impression or the reality. I have been particularly puzzled by the paradoxical nature of the fact that people always complain about their wages and living standards, yet they do not mind spending money in cafés.

According to a nationally representative sample of 331 Georgians interviewed in early October 2018, the Consumer Confidence Index (CCI) dropped by 2.8 index points, from -15.2 in September to -18 in October. A similar pattern was observed in both sub-indices: the Present Situation Index went down by 5.3 (from -17.3 to -22.6), and the Expectations Index by 0.2 index points (from -13.1 to -13.4) compared to September.

It is that time of year again when our world starts revolving around the World Bank’s Doing Business publication. It is a time when we once more have the chance to brag about how easy it is to start a business in Georgia, about how small the tax burden on businesses is, and about how good we are at enforcing contracts.