According to Geostat’s rapid estimates, Georgia’s economy grew by 4.3% in March 2015. After the slowdown of the last several months, the growth rate in February and March looks very promising. In the first quarter of 2015, GDP growth amounted to 3.2%. In March, VAT payers’ turnover increased by 9.9% annually, and the total consumption of electricity increased by 6.2%.
ISET continues its Distinguished Professors Lecture Series in cooperation with Tbilisi State University (TSU). On Monday, June 1st, in this installment of the lecture series, ISET hosted Alexander Shengelaya, professor of TSU and University of Zurich. Prof. Shengelaya delivered a lecture titled “Amazing World of Superconductivity” accompanied by the actual experiment about superconductivity.
As planned, on May 16, 2015, ISET held an Admissions exam in English language and Mathematics. Exams were carried out simultaneously in Baku, Tbilisi, and Yerevan. The Mathematics exam assessed basic mathematical knowledge, thinking, and problem-solving skills. It covered topics from basic algebra, basic mathematics of finance, and basic calculus. The English exam assessed reading comprehension.
June is the time of the year when the Khachapuri Index reaches the lowest point in its annual cycle. The supply of fresh milk a key input in the production of Imeretian cheese reaches its seasonal peak a few months earlier, in March and April. The prices of cheese, while declining in a continuous fashion from January onward, bottom out with a lag of two-three months, by June or July.
Most development practitioners subscribe to the view that vibrant small-and-medium enterprises (SMEs) are crucial for the health of a country’s economy. The SME sector is crucial, the argument goes because it creates employment and serves as a hotbed of entrepreneurial talent. Additionally, SMEs are often seen as a source of new, fast-growing industries, contributing to a price-reducing and quality-improving competition with large and old firms that tend to dominate markets in small countries such as Georgia.