US Investment Climate report: Georgia’s investment conditions “sound”, judiciary a problem

Overall, business and investment conditions are sound, and Georgia favorably compares to the regional peers. However, there is an increasing lack of confidence in the judicial sector’s ability to adjudicate commercial cases independently or in a timely, competent manner, with some business dispute cases languishing in the court system for years, the US Department of State 2022 Investment Climate Statements reads.

 

The report released on July 28, suggested that other companies complained of inefficient decision-making processes at the municipal level, shortcomings in the enforcement of intellectual property rights, lack of effective anti-trust policies, accusations of political meddling, selective enforcement of laws and regulations, including commercial laws, and difficulties resolving disputes over property rights. 

 

“The Georgian government continues to work to address these issues, and despite these remaining challenges, Georgia ranks high in the region as a good place to do business”, said the survey.

 

The report said that the United States and Georgia worked to increase bilateral trade and investment through a High-Level Dialogue on Trade and Investment and through the U.S.-Georgia Strategic Partnership Commission’s Economic, Energy, and Trade Working Group, noting that

 

both countries signed a Bilateral Investment Treaty in 1994, and Georgia was eligible to export many products duty-free to the United States under the Generalized System of Preferences program.