In the first half of 2016:• State budget revenues are executed by 100.5%, while expenditure - by 95.8%. • Expenditure on social benefits significantly increased (12.1%; 161.8 mln GEL) compared to the corresponding period in 2015. This might be due to the increase the expenditure on public health (23.4%; 62.5 mln. GEL).

In June 2016 compared to the corresponding period in 2015: • The volume of deposits (13.5%) and the volume of loans (11.2%) increased.• Taking the effect of exchange rate into consideration, the volume of deposits increased by 10.4% while the volume of loans increased by 8.2%.• There was a significant growth in the number of loans in construction (41.9%) as well as in the industrial sector (11.2%).• The average annual interest rate on deposits (-0.4 percentage point) as well as on loans (-1.5 percentage point) decreased.• The volume of non-performing loans increased by 8.4%.

In the first half of 2016, compared to the corresponding period of the previous year:    •   The volume of exports reduced (-5.7%) overall with the declines especially steep in the export of Ferro-alloys (-32.6%), motor cars (-24.5%) and medicaments (-24.4%).    •   If we discount the medicaments for hepatitis C, the volume of imports also decreased (-10.6%) overall with significant declines in the import of petroleum oil (-20.2%), petroleum gases (-28.6%) and motor cars (-15.3%).    •   Turkey became a major export partner country, while exports to Azerbaijan reduced significantly.  

During the first quarter of 2016, according to the preliminary data: The real GDP growth rate of Georgia was 2.6% The most significant sectors were industry (16.9%), trade (15.8%) and transport and communications (13%). The highest growth was recorded in the construction sector (25.7%), while the largest decline (-1.7%) was recorded in community, social and personal service.  

During the first quarter of 2016, according to the preliminary data: The real GDP growth rate of Georgia was 2.6% The most significant sectors were industry (16.9%), trade (15.8%) and transport and communications (13%). The highest growth was recorded in the construction sector (25.7%), while the largest decline (-1.7%) was recorded in community, social and personal service.  

In the first quarter of 2016, according to the preliminary data: The volume of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in Georgia increased by 103% compared to the first quarter of 2015 and amounted to US$376.4 mln. The highest proportion of FDI was invested in Tbilisi (63%). The biggest three investors in Georgia by country were Azerbaijan (36.4%), Turkey (15%) and United Kingdom (11.7%). Looking at investment by sector, the most attractive sectors for investors were transport and communications (53.2%), financial services (15.3%) and energy (10.6%).  

On 15 June 2016, the value of 1 USD is 2.132 GEL, which is 17.2% lower compared to the highest indicator of 2016 (2.498 GEL) so far. This issue reviews the dynamics of the key indicators, which maintain the inflow and outflow of foreign currencies in Georgia, which have a major role in the calculation of the exchange rate. These indicators are as follows: international trade (export and import), remittances, visitors in Georgia, Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) and local loans denominated in the foreign currencies and their service costs.

In 2015: The volume of construction output increased by 4% compared to the corresponding indicator of 2014 and amounted to 4,254 mln GEL. Foreign Direct Investments in the construction sector declined by 59% compared to the previous year. The number of individuals employed in the construction sector increased by 4.6% and equaled 64,613. Their average monthly remuneration amounted to 1,531 GEL.  

In the first quarter of 2016: The volume of state budget tax revenues increased (8.4%) compared to the corresponding period in 2015. The indicator of tax revenue compliance compared to the annual plan is 25.7%. The structure of tax revenues is as follows: VAT (35.5%), income tax (20.2%), profit tax (10%), excise tax (11.1%) and import tax (1.2%). The revenues increased from import (34.3%) and excise (28.2%) taxes, while the revenues decreased from profit tax (-35.5%), income tax (-10.3%) and VAT (-14.2%).

In the first quarter of 2016: The volume of registered trade turnover in goods was US$2 146 mln. The share of registered import of goods in total turnover was 79.4% and the share of registered export of goods was 20.6%. The trade balance has improved by 2.5%, while exports declined by 11.9%, and imports declined by 5.1%. The top three exported commodities from Georgia are: copper ores (19%), motor cars (8.5%) and nuts (7.4%), while the top three imported commodities to Georgia are: medicaments (15.8%), gases (7.3%) and motor cars (5.8%). Georgia’s top three export partners are: Turkey (12.4%), China (12.3%) and Russia (9.6%), while the main import partners are: Turkey (17.4%), Ireland (12.3%) and Russia (8.6%).