30 Jun Combating Poverty in Georgia: Assessing the Efficacy of Georgia’s Forms of Social Assistance

Máté Andor Kelemen

SciencesPo Paris, Reims, France.

E-mail: mateandor.kelemen@sciencespo.fr.

Abstract

The Republic of Georgia gained European Union candidate status in 2023, but it remains one of the poorest countries on the continent. With the deadline of the Sustainable Development Goals fast approaching, set for 2030, it is important to assess how the small republic is addressing poverty within its borders as it prepares for EU membership. This policy review will show how a lack of wage employment poses an important challenge alongside traditional factors such as disability, poor health, etc… It will be argued that the current system of social assistance, headed by the Targeted Social Assistance (TSA) programme, has been inadequate at reducing poverty rates which

have lately stagnated. The policy review will further suggest that Georgia should implement a more universal TSA programme complemented by reforms in the employment, vocational training, and education sectors while expanding its early childhood education and care programmes. These reforms would help the Transcaucasian Republic reach Sustainable Development Goal no. 1 by 2023.

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Keywords: Poverty, Inequality, TSA.