LOCAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PLAN FOR TBILISI ... - LED

When creating long-lasting mechanisms of activities stimulating local
economy it is a matter of fundamental value to find a partner institution who
will initiate and coordinate development programmes.
The local government needs partners not only among ordinary people,
institutions and organisations in the City but should also find external partners
such as banks, regional authorities and business organisations who can offer
help in developing local job market.
When implementing the economic development strategy for Tbilisi the
following measures will be of key importance:
• cooperation among the stakeholders,
• establishing a municipal structure that is capable of generating and
implementing local economic policy,
• identification of priority projects being the foundation of local economic
development,
• starting cooperation with other cities that are undergoing the process
of similar transformation by means of best practices,
• encouraging local economic growth, which is such form of activity that
requires specific skills and initiatives that are beyond the city hall’s
traditional forms of activity.
An important role in strategy implementation can be played by efficient
Economic Development Agencies.
It is worth consideration that in the course of strategy implementation the
Tbilisi City Hall department dealing with economic development could be
transformed into an independent city agency provided with resources
necessary to carry out strategy tasks.
The Agency should:
• employ a team of experts capable of project implementation,
• develop a range of instruments to support companies and workforce,
• have at their disposal the funds enabling them to realize tasks by
means of their own earnings and subsidies for projects.
A non-governmental organisation that is competent to perform such tasks,
has adequate human technical and financial resources will secure sustained
activity and will immediately react to changing conditions.
When developing the Economic Development Strategy of Tbilisi City a
workshop was held where the participants learned how to establish an NGO
(foundation, association) and how to develop with local partners the local
operation programme, methods and forms of raising funds for operation and
project implementation.
Below the most important projects have been presented whose scopes and
subjects result directly from the entrepreneurs’ opinion. The projects were
developed during the workshop meetings with stakeholders and they deal
with: workforce, business activity financing, organising business activity
space, application of new technologies in economic development, support for
tourism and creative clusters.