Dear Reader, we are publishing this issue of our magazine on the eve of the #Caucasus17 SME Banking Conference in Tbilisi, which we are organizing in the region for the third consecutive year. Anyone traveling
to Georgia should be prepared for the many changes that have been made in the country’s business environment in recent years. The fact that Georgia was ranked 16th – it is also one of the world’s top 10 countries in terms of implementing reforms to business regulations – out of 190 countries in the latest Doing Business 2017 is worthy of respect.
Despite this, Georgian bankers will still tell you: “Yes, but we still have a lot of to do.” This is especially the case in business banking. The picture of what is available in terms of support for the SME segment would be incomplete without mentioning the fact that there is still a lot to be done in the areas of startup banking and export support, digital transformation and value-added services.
