Businessman Resan Kikava believes Georgia is moving toward an economic model that he calls a “Russian province,” where no major investments or enterprises are being developed. Speaking on BMG's TV-program Analitics, he said the trend is both risky and harmful for the country’s long-term development.
“It is clear that we are becoming a Russian province and, unfortunately, there is a demand for the corresponding business. This is an economy where nothing important, enterprises or investments, is being implemented,” Kikava said.
According to him, Georgia lacks the presence of large, branded international companies, and the state is not creating conditions to attract them. Instead, the economy is increasingly shaped by low-value activities and outsourcing, which do not generate innovation or sustainable jobs.
Kikava also criticized Georgia’s weak connection between business, education, and science. He argued that many entrepreneurs prefer operating in an environment with low competition, where corruption and informal practices dominate.
“Our economy is not based on knowledge or science. Unfortunately, we have built such an education system that makes it easier for people to do business in a space where corruption, black money, and criminality are activated. This is the model we are creating now,” he noted.
Kikava added that uncertainty over Georgia’s relations with Russia and the West is deepening the problem, leaving both businesses and society unsure of the country’s future economic direction.
