Local economic development options for deepening economic and social transformation of Georgia

Abstract

Georgia is still deeply entrenched in economic and social transformation processes through which it tries to shake off soviet hierarchical and state led economic and societal structures and to become a pluralist democratic state with a modern market economy. Advances in the past decade have been spectacular on certain fronts, notably improving the rule of law, combat corruption and liberalizing the economy, opening up to FDI and seeking to integrate in the world economy, while at the same time cushioning the impacts of large scale privatization and deregulation reforms on the predominantly rural poor.