The development of the ICT (Information and Communications Technology) service sector is one of the strategic priorities for the Georgian economy. The sector is characterized by the unique potential to contribute to the country’s long-term growth, create positive productivity spillovers into other industries, and, in the longer term, transform the existing industrial structure of Georgia by moving away from primary production and primary exports.

This quarterly report provides an analysis of economic trends, as well as denoting the challenges and opportunities (in local, regional, and global contexts) in the selected value chains within six sectors to improve evidence-based decision-making by providing quality information and analytics. These specific sectors are tourism, creative industries, light manufacturing, shared intellectual services, waste management, and recycling, along with cross-cutting sectors.

The Gender Impact Assessment (GIA) of the Models for the Implementation of the Equal Pay Review and Reporting (EPRR) Methodology in Georgia was conducted by the ISET Policy Institute (ISET-PI) as part of its collaboration with UN Women within the scope of the project “Regulatory Impact Assessment and Gender Impact Assessment for Women’s Economic Empowerment in Georgia”.

Natural resources, such as land, water, air, minerals, forests, and fisheries, all provide fundamental life support, in the form of both public-good and consumptive services, which also greatly affect the quality of human life. As such, a proper Natural Resource Management (NRM) allows for the sustainable utilization of resources and moreover ensures that the services provided continue to be accessible over time.

The Water Policy Outlook study aimed to compare and contrast existing policy frameworks against the long-term strategic plan and vision for the water sector by respective governments. The outlooks aimed to map the future policy challenges and policy reform opportunities required to achieve these long-term strategic objectives.

ISET Policy Institute developed an advanced quantitative model to simulate the potential impacts of energy and environmental policies on the Georgian economy, the Climate Policy Analysis (ICPA), and investigated the economy-wide implications of three alternative policy options (the introduction of differentiated – by sector – carbon taxes, sectoral emission standards, and uniform carbon tax), complying with the emission targets defined in Georgia’s Climate Strategy and Action Plan, to find out the most effective measures and their welfare effects.