Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) model is an analytical tool commonly used by countries and international financial institutions to simulate policy interventions. CGE applications are not limited to any particular policy area. Their usefulness is highest when the simulated policy intervention is expected to generate significant feedback effects or spillovers into sectors that may not be directly affected.

We may recall that the Lazika city project has been proposed by the Saakashvili administration to accelerate the process of urbanization. A new city was suggested as a means of absorbing surplus rural population and thus paving the way for land consolidation and greater productivity in agriculture.

In his blog post “The puzzle of agricultural productivity in Georgia and Armenia”, Adam Pellillo raises the following question.

Mathematical literacy has always been a key factor in improving a country’s productivity and competitiveness. Stanford University’s Eric Hanushek has shown that there is a positive relationship between students’ performance in mathematics tests and economic growth.

On November 20, 2012, Azim Sadikov, a Senior Economist from the IMF’s Resident Representative Office in Georgia, delivered a presentation of the IMF’s annual report on the “Caucasus and Central Asia [CCA] Regional Economic Outlook” to ISETers. The presentation covered an analysis of current and projected macroeconomic trends on both the global and CCA regional scale.