The Local Economic Development Project (LEDP) in Georgia, financially supported by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and implemented by the HELVETAS Swiss Intercooperation and WINS Global Consult consortium, has officially started.
The LEDP aims to improve economic opportunities for people living in regional Georgia. To achieve this goal, the project engages public, private, and non-governmental sectors to identify initiatives that support local economic development. It also strengthens coordination between central and local levels and introduces innovations in target municipalities.
The initial phase of the LEDP focuses on 10 partner municipalities: Poti, Senaki, Zugdidi, Gori, Dusheti, Lanchkhuti, Ozurgeti, Chokhatauri, Tsalka, and Tetritskaro. In these areas, the project aims to strengthen the capabilities of local private, public, and civil society actors, to establish public-private dialogue platforms, and foster a conducive business environment. Consequently, local communities will gain improved employment prospects and increased income potential, improving the liveability of these areas.
Today, HELVETAS, in partnership with the Georgian Innovation and Technology Agency (GITA), successfully conducted a project presentation and panel discussion, focused on the challenges and opportunities in local economic development.
The event featured insights from Mzia Giorgobiani, Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Regional Development and Infrastructure of Georgia; Barbara Böni, Regional Director of Cooperation South Caucasus, Embassy of Switzerland in Georgia and Michael Haynes, the LEDP team leader.
“Sharing best practices of local economic development and adapting it to our municipalities is an important pursuit. In this regard, the Ministry of Regional Development and Infrastructure is ready to continuously support the implementation of initiatives geared towards empowering municipalities.” – stated Mzia Giorgobiani, Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Regional Development and Infrastructure of Georgia.
“We take pride in supporting this local economic development project. Indeed, we expect that it will contribute to the well-being of a broad range of the population in selected municipalities through comprehensive and sustainable growth. We are convinced that by facilitating effective collaboration between the government, private sector, and civil society, this project will create economic opportunities for the local population, enhance their resilience and, overall, lead to increased economic attractiveness of their municipality,” stated Barbara Böni, Regional Director of Cooperation South Caucasus, Embassy of Switzerland in Georgia.
“We are pleased to announce that the project is entering an active phase, focusing on the identification and support of specific initiatives for local economic development. It is imperative to unite the efforts of various stakeholders involved in this process to enhance the development of the local business sector and citizens’ capabilities.” – stated the LEDP team leader, Michael Haynes.
The project coordinates its activities with its main partners: the Ministry of Regional Development and Infrastructure (MRDI), the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development (MoESD), the International School of Economics at TSU (ISET) Policy Institute, the National Association of Local Authorities of Georgia (NALAG), and PricewaterhouseCoopers International (PwC).
In addition, the LEDP will collaborate with a variety of organizations from the public sector, private sector, and civil society to ensure sustainable and inclusive economic growth.
The event concluded with the LEDP signing a memorandum with the Innovation and Technology Agency of Georgia.
