Georgia Sustaining Rapid Economic Growth : Country Economic Memorandum

Abstract

Sustaining rapid economic growth for reduced poverty and shared prosperity over the next decade and beyond in Georgia is an important goal and a key challenge for the authorities. While the record of growth over the last decade has been strong, the forces that drove this growth are unlikely to be sustained in the coming years. Sustaining strong growth in Georgia going forward will require new policies that help support both high investment financed increasingly from domestic sources as well as sustained rapid productivity growth in the tradable sectors. Ensuring a more sustainable source of financing for investment and accumulation will require raising low rates of national savings in Georgia. Sustaining rapid productivity growth of tradables will require reforms to address firm level constraints to improved allocative efficiency and productivity over the firm lifecycle. Supporting productivity growth will also require improved skills and deployment of workers that will also support employment generation and more inclusive growth going forward. Expanding productivity and growth of exports will require ensuring price competitiveness, enhancing market access, and improving logistics infrastructure. This report is structured in five chapters. Chapter one looks at the sources and prospects for growth, the record on national savings, and the prospects for raising savings. Chapter two is a diagnostic of the dynamics of firm-level productivity growth and the policies that may be constraining improved allocative efficiency and lifecycle productivity. Chapter three looks at employment and skills to assess whether Georgia's labor resources are adequately deployed. Chapter four is a diagnostic of exports and international trade and the policies that may be holding back growth and productivity of the export and tradable sectors in particular. Two appendices on the apparel and wine industries provide additional insight into policies to support export growth.