The recent amendment to Georgia’s tax code, known as the “offshores law,” has sparked significant concern regarding the integrity of Georgia’s financial system. This policy brief examines the implications of this amendment in the context of Georgia’s recent political and regulatory developments, which have raised alarms about the potential risks of money laundering and sanctions evasion.

Geostat has released its rapid estimate of real GDP growth for September 2023. The estimated growth stands at 5.1%, while the average real GDP growth for January-September 2023 reached 6.8%.

Geostat has released its rapid estimate of real GDP growth for August 2023. The estimated growth stands at 5.8%, while the average real GDP growth for January- August 2023 reached 7%.

As a result of the update, the growth forecast for Q1 of 2023 was reduced by 0.1 percentage points to 2.6%. ISET PI’s second forecast for Q2 of 2023 puts GDP growth at a positive 1.6%.

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.