Georgia
As in many countries, the economies of Eastern Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia (EECCA) have been negatively affected by the global COVID-19 pandemic. Their governments responded by addressing the health impacts and providing relief to affected businesses and workers. Many EECCA countries have also implemented measures that will help advance environmental objectives as part of their rescue and recovery plans. Nevertheless, much more needs to be done to ensure that recovery plans accelerate a green transition, thereby building resilience against external shocks. This policy paper analyses measures related to COVID-19 in 11 EECCA countries based on their potential to advance the transition to a greener, climate-resilient and low-carbon economy. Recommendations suggest ways to ensure that governments align efforts to support economic recovery with their objectives on climate change, biodiversity and wider environmental protection.
The work of teachers matters in many different ways. Not only do they provide students with the knowledge and skills needed to thrive in the labour market, but they also help develop the social-emotional skills that are vital for students’ personal development and for their active citizenship. But how do teachers best achieve this? By linking 2018 data from the Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) with evidence from the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) – known as the TALIS-PISA link – this report aims to identify the teacher and school factors that matter most for student achievement and social-emotional development. The report uses a data-driven approach – based on machine learning and standard regression analyses – to identify the dimensions that are most strongly linked with student outcomes, and then combines this with a careful review of theory and previous research to analyse and interpret the findings. These findings provide a rich illustration of the many ways in which teachers and school leaders might influence the success of their students, acting as a tool for educators to reflect upon their own practice. Finally, the report offers several directions for education policy.
Georgia’s reform trajectory has been nothing short of remarkable. In less than two decades, successive structural, regulatory and economic reforms have propelled Georgia from one of the poorest post-Soviet states to an upper-middle income economy. Georgia ranks among the best performers in the world according to international indices on doing business and openness to foreign investment – achievements many countries look to for inspiration. Yet in recent years, the Georgian government has reflected on why these reforms have not facilitated more broad-based economic growth. FDI attraction has been strong relative to the size of the Georgian economy, but the positive benefits of investment have not been fully realised. Mobilising investment in sectors that can enhance job creation, exports and productivity will be key for Georgia’s recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. This Investment Policy Review takes stock of recent achievements in improving the investment climate and assesses areas for the government to consider in strengthening its reform efforts to attract FDI that can have a positive impact on inclusive, sustainable growth.
The COVID-19 crisis has had a profound impact on SME access to finance. In particular, the sudden drop in revenues created acute liquidity shortages, threatening the survival of many viable businesses. The report documents an increase in demand for bank lending in the first half of 2020, and a steady supply of credit thanks to government interventions. On the other hand, other sources of finance declined, in particular early-stage equity.
This paper, a special edition of Financing SMEs and Entrepreneurs, focuses on the impacts of COVID-19 on SME access to finance, along with government policy responses. It reveals that the pre-crisis financing environment was broadly favourable for SMEs and entrepreneurs, who benefited from low interest rates, loose credit standards and an increasingly diverse offer of financing instruments.
It documents the unprecedented scope and scale of the policy responses undertaken by governments world-wide, and details their key characteristics, and outlines the principal issues and policy challenges for the next phases of the pandemic, such as the over-indebtedness of SMEs and the need to continue to foster a diverse range of financing instruments for SMEs.
Ce rapport est une édition spéciale du Tableau de bord de l’OCDE sur le financement des PME et des entrepreneurs, publication phare de l’OCDE. Il examine en détail les conséquences du COVID-19 sur l’accès des PME au financement, ainsi que les mesures prises en conséquence par les pouvoirs publics. Il apparaît qu’avant la crise, les conditions de financement étaient globalement favorables pour les PME et les entrepreneurs, qui bénéficiaient de faibles taux d’intérêt, de critères accommodants d’octroi des crédits et d’une offre de plus en plus diversifiée d’instruments de financement. Mais la crise du COVID‑19 a profondément bouleversé l’accès des PME au financement. Plus particulièrement, l’effondrement brutal du chiffre d’affaires des entreprises a provoqué de graves pénuries de liquidités qui ont mis en danger la survie de bon nombre d’entreprises viables. Ce rapport fait état d’une augmentation de la demande de prêts bancaires au cours du premier semestre de 2020, et d’une stabilité de l’offre de crédit grâce à l’action des pouvoirs publics. Parallèlement, on a observé un recul d’autres sources de financement, en particulier l’apport de fonds propres au stade du démarrage. Le rapport réunit des données sur le périmètre et l’ampleur des mesures prises par les gouvernements dans le monde, et en précise les principales caractéristiques. Il décrit les principaux enjeux stratégiques du financement des PME qui se poseront au cours des prochaines phases de la pandémie ; il s’agira en effet d’éviter le surendettement des PME, de promouvoir une gamme diversifiée d’instruments de financement, de stimuler la création d’entreprises et de renforcer la résilience des PME par des mesures structurelles.
The impact of the Covid-19 crisis on public health in the six EU Eastern Partner (EaP) countries remains limited with 187 reported fatalities in the region as of 14 April. Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia (because of their proximity to Iran) saw the region’s first cases of Covid-19 in late February. Swift containment measures and limited intra-regional mobility have so far helped limit the spread of the virus, and the number of recorded cases remains relatively low in the South Caucasus.
An overview of the prevailing institutional framework related to bioenergy and associated policies opens this roadmap, followed by a description of the wider context of bioenergy supply and consumption in Georgia.
The body of the roadmap focuses on:
- Ensuring sustainable biomass supplies
- Modernising the consumption of biomass.
Current Georgian practices are summarised for these two areas, and examples of international best practices in bioenergy from IEA member countries are offered. The roadmap then outlines the policies, technologies and management practices needed for Georgia to harness its biomass potential securely and sustainably. These are presented as a set of overarching policy actions, underpinned by detailed biomass supply and consumption recommendations.
The recommended actions are compiled as a co-ordinated package of measures to be implemented during 2020-25 to modernise Georgia’s bioenergy industry and make it sustainable by 2030. The social, economic and environmental benefits for the country are summarised as a vision of Georgia’s modern bioenergy industry in 2030.
The International Energy Agency (IEA) conducts in-depth peer reviews of the energy policies of its members and non-member countries. This process supports a holistic approach to energy policy development and encourages the exchange of international best practices and experiences. This report is the first in-depth review conducted by the EU4Energy programme (implemented by the IEA and the European Union) in the 2019-2021 cycle. It updates and extends the analysis of energy policies in the countries of Eastern Europe, Caucasus and Central Asia that the IEA conducted in 2015.
Since the 2015 review, Georgia has made solid progress in improving both the security and sustainability of its energy supply. The country entered into the EU-Georgia Association Agreement in 2016 and become a Contracting party of the Energy Community Treaty in 2017. Since then, it has made significant legal and institutional reforms demonstrating the government’s commitment to align its energy sector with EU regulations for electricity and gas markets, security of supply, renewable energy, energy efficiency and statistics. The energy sector has been instrumental in establishing Georgia’s overall economic policy focused on creating a liberalised environment through minimal state interference, deregulation, privatisation, reduced and simplified licensing and taxation, and free trade, earning the country the reputation of a “star reformer”. Taking advantage of its favourable geographical situation, Georgia plays an important role in the regional trade of electricity, oil and natural gas.
Nevertheless, Georgia is still confronted with many challenges in its transition to a more secure, sustainable and affordable energy future. The government recognises most of them and is considering various measures to address them. There is room for the further strengthening of the country’s long-term energy strategy, raising institutional capacity and improving coordination between stakeholders to develop policies based on solid analysis of supply-demand trends and alternative scenario models. More efforts could be made to develop effective secondary legislation to accelerate the implementation of the EU energy acquis, and to gradually phase out implicit subsidies and cross-subsidies in the electricity and gas sectors. In this report, the IEA provides recommendations for further improvements of Georgia’s policies to help the country guide the transformation of its energy sector.
В настоящем отчете анализируются планируемые инфраструктурные проекты, основы принятия решений относительно развития инфраструктуры и документы по вопросам стратегического планирования, существующие в восьми странах Центральной Азии и Кавказа: Азербайджане, Грузии, Казахстане, Кыргызской Республике, Монголии, Таджикистане, Туркменистане и Узбекистане. В нем проводится сопоставление текущих инвестиционных потоков с национальными целями в области развития стран для указания несоответствий между ними и предоставляются рекомендации директивным органам для более полной интеграции проблем, связанных с изменением климата, и прочих экологических вопросов в процессы принятия решений относительно развития инфраструктуры. В отчете представлен комплексный обзор инфраструктурных инвестиций, в основном в сфере транспорта и энергетике, осуществляемых в регионе, а также указаны риски и возможности, связанные с нынешними тенденциями в области инвестиций.
მცირე და საშუალო სიდიდის საწარმოები (მსს) მნიშვნელოვან როლს თამაშობენ საქართველოსეკონომიკაში. მსს-ბზე მოდის დასაქმებულთა 67% დამთლიანი დამატებული ღირებულების დაახლოებით 62%. თუმცა, ცალკე აღებული მსს-ს ზემოქმედებისკვალი გარემოზე შესაძლოა შეუმჩნეველი იყოს, მაგრამ ერთობლივად - ბევრი მიმართულებითაჭარბებს დიდი ბიზნესების მიერ გარემოზეზემოქმედების ხარისხს.
კომერციულ ბანკებს მნიშვნელოვანი როლისშესრულება შეუძლიათ მწვანე ფინანსებზე წვდომისუზრუნველყოფაში, განსაკუთრებით მსს-ებისთვის.წინამდებარე ანგარიში წარმოადგენსსაქართველოში მწვანე სესხების მსს-ებზე გაცემისგამოცდილების მიმოიხილავს. ანალიზის შედეგად მოხდა იმ მთავარი გამოწვევების იდენტიფიცირება, რაც დაკავშირებულია მსს-ზე მწვანე პროექტებისთვის სესხების გაცემასთან და განხილულია ამ გამოწვევების დაძლევის შესაძლო გზები. კერძოდ, ანგარიშში ყურადღებითაა შესწავლილი მთავრობისა და იმ პოლიტიკური ინსტრუმენტების როლო, რომელიც მას შეუძლია გამოიყენოს მსს-ის სექტორში მწვანე სესხები მიმართ მაღალი მოთხოვნის სტიმულირებისათვის.
«Индекс экономической политики в сфере МСП: страны Восточного партнерства в 2020 г. Оценка реализации Европейского акта о малом бизнесе» является уникальным инструментом сопоставительного анализа, который позволяет контролировать прогресс разработки и осуществления политики в области МСП в сравнении с передовыми практиками ЕС и международного сообщества. Он основывается на 10 принципах Европейского акта о малом бизнесе (АМБ), который предлагает широкий спектр мер, направленных на оказание поддержки предприятиям. Эти принципы служат руководящей основой для разработки и осуществления политики в сфере МСП. Настоящее исследование является третьим изданием из данной серии. Результаты первых двух исследований были опубликованы в 2012 и 2016 годах. В исследовании 2020 года представлен всесторонний обзор хода реализации десяти рекомендаций закона, а также анализируются успехи, достигнутые странами региона с 2016 года. Кроме того, в исследовании рассматриваются существующие проблемы, затрагивающие МСП в странах ВП, и предлагаются рекомендации по их решению на основе примеров передовой практики ЕС и других стран мира. В издание 2020 года также включена оценка трех новых направлений (защита конкуренции, принудительное исполнение договоров и коммерческая добросовестность), выходящих за рамки политики развития МСП и охватывающих ключевые приоритеты структурных реформ, которые имеют решающее значение для создания равных условий для предприятий всех размеров и форм собственности.
The SME Policy Index: Eastern Partner Countries 2020 – Assessing the Implementation of the Small Business Act for Europe is a unique benchmarking tool to assess and monitor progress in the design and implementation of SME policies against EU and international best practice. It is structured around the ten principles of the Small Business Act for Europe (SBA), which provide a wide range of pro-enterprise measures to guide the design and implementation of SME policies. This report marks the third edition in this series, following assessments in 2012 and 2016. It provides a comprehensive overview of the state of play in the implementation of the ten SBA principles, and monitors progress made since 2016. It also identifies remaining challenges affecting SMEs in the Eastern Partnership (EaP) countries and provides recommendations to address them based on EU and international good practice examples. The 2020 edition also features a novelty: An assessment of three new dimensions going beyond core SME policy (competition, contract enforcement and business integrity) looking at key structural reform priorities that are critical to establishing a level playing field for enterprises of all sizes and ownership types.
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) play an important role in Georgia’s economy. SMEs provide more than 67% of employment and about 62% of gross value added. Although the environmental footprint of individual SMEs may be low, their aggregate impact in many respects exceeds that of large businesses.
Commercial banks have an important role to play in providing access to green finance, particularly for SMEs. This report reviews the experience with green lending in the SME sector in Georgia. The analysis identifies the main challenges with lending to SMEs for green projects and discusses possible solutions. The report, in particular, looks at the role of the government and the policy instruments it can use to stimulate higher demand for green lending in the SME sector.
This report analyses planned infrastructure projects, decision-making frameworks related to infrastructure development and strategic planning documents in eight countries in Central Asia and the Caucasus: Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Mongolia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. It compares current investment flows with countries' national development objectives to identify misalignments and provides policy-makers with recommendations to improve the integration of climate change and other environmental concerns into infrastucture development decision-making processes. The report presents a comprehensive overview of infrastructure investment, primarily in the transport and energy sectors, throughout the region and identifies the risks and opportunities emerging from current investment patterns.
Georgia has made remarkable progress in expanding education access and improving education quality. Nevertheless, the majority of children in Georgia leave school without mastering the basic competencies for life and work. Moreover, students’ background is becoming a greater influence on their achievement. This review, developed in partnership with UNICEF, provides Georgia with recommendations to strengthen its evaluation and assessment system to focus on helping students learn. It will be of interest to countries that wish to strengthen their own evaluation and assessment systems and, in turn, improve educational outcomes.
This study assesses the use of economic instruments for water resources management in Georgia and considers options for reform following the 2014 signature of an Association Agreement with the EU committing to alignment with the EU’s Water Framework Directive. This includes the systematic use of economic instruments, including water pricing, to recover the cost of water services provided to households, industry and farmers, among other measures.
Three main economic instruments are recommended in this study: 1) the introduction of a licensing regime and charges for both surface water and groundwater abstraction, 2) the restoration of a licencing and charging regime for all forms of water pollution, and 3) more rigorous enforcement of these measures, including more active monitoring and higher fines for offenders. Implementing these measures will be greatly facilitated by the enactment of the new Water Law now being examined by the government of Georgia.
This report discusses key issues surrounding finance mobilisation for achieving Georgia’s climate change and green growth targets, and new investment opportunities for developing its capital market. The report focuses particularly on finance for climate change mitigation from various sources – private and public, national and international – but remains relevant for other issues around the country’s green growth agenda, such as energy productivity, air pollution prevention, climate change adaptation, better waste management, conservation of natural resources, and the technologies and innovations that help tackle these issues.
Interrelations between Public Policies, Migration and Development in Georgia is the result of a project carried out by the Caucasus Research Resource Center (CRRC-Georgia) and the OECD Development Centre, in collaboration with the State Commission on Migration Issues (SCMI) and with support from the European Union. The project aimed to provide policy makers with evidence on the way migration influences specific sectors – the labour market, agriculture, education and investment and financial services – and, in turn, how sectoral policies affect migration. The report addresses three dimensions of the migration cycle that have changed remarkably in Georgia over the last 20 years: emigration, remittances and return.
The results of the empirical work confirm that even though migration contributes to the development of Georgia, the potential of migration is not fully exploited. One explanation is that, despite headway in the field of migration and development through the creation of the SCMI, not all policy makers in Georgia take migration sufficiently into account in their respective policy areas. Georgian authorities therefore need to adopt a more coherent policy agenda and better integrate migration into their sectoral strategies to enhance the contribution of migration to development in the country.
This study was one of the first attempts to evaluate and quantify the benefits of transboundary co-operation between Georgia and Azerbaijan. A specific framework for inventorying these benefits, taking into account all the different dimensions of transboundary water management, was built and applied to the major transboundary water bodies. Though a thorough assessment of the costs and benefits of transboundary co-operation in the two selected cases was not possible due to the lack of some quantitative and economic data, the assessment results highlighted the importance of promoting the integration of economic thinking in transboundary water management. The present and future prospects for transboundary co-operation on water management are still very positive: the two countries are working on a Transboundary Agreement, which will provide the necessary regulatory framework for co-operation and, most importantly, will set up a Joint Commission on Sustainable Use and Protection of the Kura River Basin. The outcomes of this study allowed for the identification of priorities for future work on transboundary co-operation between Georgia and Azerbaijan, and namely, support to developing guidelines on mechanisms to update databases, but also on new tools and systems.
This report contains the 2014 “Phase 2: Implementation of the Standards in Practice” Global Forum review of Georgia.
The Global Forum on Transparency and Exchange of Information for Tax Purposes is the multilateral framework within which work in the area of tax transparency and exchange of information is carried out by over 130 jurisdictions which participate in the work of the Global Forum on an equal footing.
The Global Forum is charged with in-depth monitoring and peer review of the implementation of the standards of transparency and exchange of information for tax purposes. These standards are primarily reflected in the 2002 OECD Model Agreement on Exchange of Information on Tax Matters and its commentary, and in Article 26 of the OECD Model Tax Convention on Income and on Capital and its commentary as updated in 2004, which has been incorporated in the UN Model Tax Convention.
The standards provide for international exchange on request of foreseeably relevant information for the administration or enforcement of the domestic tax laws of a requesting party. “Fishing expeditions” are not authorised, but all foreseeably relevant information must be provided, including bank information and information held by fiduciaries, regardless of the existence of a domestic tax interest or the application of a dual criminality standard.
All members of the Global Forum, as well as jurisdictions identified by the Global Forum as relevant to its work, are being reviewed. This process is undertaken in two phases. Phase 1 reviews assess the quality of a jurisdiction’s legal and regulatory framework for the exchange of information, while Phase 2 reviews look at the practical implementation of that framework. Some Global Forum members are undergoing combined – Phase 1 plus Phase 2 – reviews. The ultimate goal is to help jurisdictions to effectively implement the international standards of transparency and exchange of information for tax purposes.