Inclusive growth in Georgia through better public services, job creation and competitiveness

A new Country Partnership Strategy for Georgia outlines a World Bank Group program of support for the country over the period 2014-2017. The strategy, which has been developed in consultation with government officials, civil society organizations, development partners and other stakeholders, identifies key areas where World Bank Group assistance can have the biggest impact on poverty reduction and is designed to promote collaboration and coordination among development partners in the country. 

The proposed engagement will focus on two key areas: 1) strengthening public service delivery to promote inclusion and equity, and 2) enabling job creation and competitiveness to enable private sector led inclusive growth.

These two areas of focus work towards greater inclusion from different perspectives. The first area targets inclusion through the effective use of public resources and the second targets inclusion through growth of income opportunities.

The importance of a strong and sustainable macro-economic framework, improved gender equity, improved infrastructure and services, and strengthened governance and institutional capacity at the local and central levels is understood as inherently critical to the Government and World Bank Group programs, underpinning both areas of focus. 

The World Bank Group has been a leading development partner of Georgia since 1992. Over the last 20 years, the Bank has provided financing for 57 projects in different sectors totaling over $1.9 billion in the form of highly concessional credits. The current portfolio consists of seven active investment projects for a total of $540 million.

The new partnership strategy has benefited greatly from consultations with representatives of civil society, businesses, donor partners, and government officials in areas ranging from health care and social protection, private sector development, infrastructure, education, gender, and others. 

Looking ahead, the World Bank Group, together with other partners, will continue to support the Georgian people in improving their lives and realizing their development goals.