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Report 2008

The Reforms and Beyond



Published for

UNDP Georgia


COPY EDITOR OF THIS UNDP report:

Bryan Adrian, Tbilisi, 2008 for UNDP Georgia

For full report go to

https://web.archive.org/web/20160131114710/http:/planipolis.iiep.unesco.org/upload/Georgia/Georgia-NHDR-2008.pdf

to contact Bryan Adrian

Quiller-For-Hire   https://quiller-for-hire.blogspot.com/

Copyright © 2008 United Nations Development Programme

9 Eristavi Street, 0179 Tbilisi, Georgia

ISBN 978-9941-0-0571-8

Editing: Caitlin Ryan

Cover and layout:

Dimitri Modrekelize, Contour Ltd.

Printing:

Calamus Graphics Studio



Team for the preparation of Georgia Human

Development Report 2008

COPY EDITOR of this UNDP report, Bryan Adrian, Tbilisi, 2008, for UNDP Georgia. For full report go to
https://web.archive.org/web/20160131114710/http:/planipolis.iiep.unesco.org/upload/Georgia/Georgia-NHDR-2008.pdf

to contact Bryan Adrian Quiller-For-Hire     https://quiller-for-hire.blogspot.com/

Project coordinator

Viktor Baramia

Lead author

George Welton

Co-authors

Tinatin Zurabishvili and Natalia Nozadze

Research assistant

George Kiziria

Authors of background papers

Givi Kutidze, Eka Avaliani, Lasha Gotsiridze, Giorgi Berulava, Tato Urjumelashvili,

Shorena Abesadze, Tinatin Zurabishvili, Vakhtang Megrelishvili, Keti Kinkladze, Nino

Kizikurashvili, Giorgi Meladze.

Human development advisors

Andrey Ivanov and Shahrbanou Tadjbakhsh

Indicators computation:

Nodar Kapanadze and Mihail Peleah

Georgia Human Development Report 2008

 

The UNDP National Human Development

Report comes at an important time in Georgia’s

relentless pursuit of enhanced economic devel-

opment for all. The beginning of this administra-

tion’s second term is an ideal time for reflection

on what we have achieved and what we still need

to do. As a long-term supporter of Georgian re-

forms, UNDP is ideally placed to engage with us

in this reflection, combining insider knowledge

and outsider objectivity.

 

Any discussion about how to proceed should

also include a wide range of opinions, local and

international, from inside the government and

from wider society. The National Human De-

velopment Report has helped incorporate these

voices to offer a broad-ranging and independent

assessment that should be invaluable in framing

the policy discussions.

 

The title of the Report is indicative. It is not just

a testimony to the remarkable reforms that have

taken place in Georgia over the last four and a

half years. Even more important, it looks at the

reform process in a long-term perspective, be-

yond an account of what has been done. It is also

a timely reminder of our shortcomings and the

work we still have to do, of the inevitable gaps

and the possible ways of addressing them.

 

In reflecting on the past, the Report is a testi-

mony to our many successes. Since the Rose

Revolution the Government finances have been

secured through a consistently supply-side ap-

proach resulting in low, flat taxes which we strive

to reduce further and restrictions on doing busi-

ness have been removed. As a result, the Govern-

ment has been able to repair roads, irrigation,

electricity and water supply, to improve the in-

frastructure of education and healthcare and to

attract investment that has grown the economy

and created jobs. The people are freed from the

blight of corruption. They can rely on the police

to protect their security and deal with Govern-

ments without paying bribes.

However, as we enter the second phase of the

reforms we need to be forward-looking. The

Report reminds us that the objective of these

reforms has always been Human Development

in the fullest sense. We do not only seek to pro-

duce a wealthy society. We want our society to be

democratic and participatory, educated, healthy

and secure. The first round of reforms have taken

us on the path towards these goals and provided

the general framework for future improvements,

which can only be brought about if we continue

with our unwavering commitment to further en-

hance the economic liberties in Georgia and its

openness to foreign investment.

 

The first task of the new Government is to ensure

that every part of Georgian society feels the full

benefits of what we have achieved and has the

opportunity to realize his or her full potential.

We have already initiated targeted social assist-

ance, higher pensions as well as a basic package of

universal healthcare provisions. This has offered

protections for the most vulnerable and is alle-

viating extreme poverty. While we will expand

these programs in the next few years, broaden-

ing of the opportunities created by the reforms

needs to go further than social assistance.

 

The Human Development Report, therefore, of-

fers useful insights as we reflect on where to go

from here. Since the Rose Revolution, Georgia

has benefitted enormously from its close collab-

oration with the international community. The

Human Development Report is an extension of

that collaboration. We hope it will encourage

an inclusive policy debate on how we build on

current successes to create a just, prosperous and

secure future for everyone in the country.

 

Vladimer Gurgenidze

Prime Minister

 


      COPY EDITOR OF THIS UNDP report:  Bryan Adrian, Tbilisi, 2008 for UNDP Georgia

                              For full report go to

           https://web.archive.org/web/20160131114710/http:/planipolis.iiep.unesco.org/upload/Georgia/Georgia-NHDR-2008.pdf

                             to contact Bryan Adrian

              Quiller-For-Hire   https://quiller-for-hire.blogspot.com/