Everyone using the service of the Tbilisi marshrutkas experiences one of two extreme cases: the marshutka either moves tantalizingly slowly or excessively fast. How can this apparent paradox be explained? In search for an answer, let us turn to game theory, one of the appealing outgrows of mathematical economics.
GAME THEORY IN ACTION
A game is a situation in which different parties, usually called players, independently make decisions. Unlike in a unilateral decision problem, in a game the payoff of each player depends on the actions taken by himself an...
ISET Economist Blog
A blog about economics in the South Caucasus.
Jul
22
Jul
15
On Monday evening I am taking the express train from Tbilisi to Samtredia with my wife and two kids (business class, 120GEL). We plan to stay overnight in a little family hotel (40GEL), and at 6.30am we’ll board the Wizz Air flight to Katowice, Poland, at the cost €40 a person and €35 per suitcase (one way). Seat reservations, luggage, train and guesthouse included, the roundtrip to Poland will cost my family around €700 compared to €1,500-2,000 using any other, conventional option. A real bargain! (even if we ignore the fact that my wife’s family is act...
Jun
14
Khudoni, Georgia’s largest hydropower investment project, is again making the headlines. According to a recent statement by Georgia’s Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Kakha Kaladze, the project will be put on hold at least until March 1, 2014. To give readers a bit of context, Khudoni’s planned capacity is in excess of 700 MW; its annual generation potential stands at about 1,5 TW/h, dwarfing other hydropower projects currently under MoUs with international investors. If built, Khudoni would be the second largest HPP in Georgia after Enguri...
Apr
12
Georgia has one of the most liberal immigration policies worldwide. Everybody can enter Georgia with an airport visa that is valid for one year. Permanent residency status is granted as soon as one has found employment. Yet compared to other capitals, one encounters rather few foreigners when walking through Tbilisi’s streets. How can Georgia sustain its liberal policy without being overrun by immigrants?
There are two rather trivial reasons. Firstly, there is no incentive to “immigrate into the welfare state”, simply because Georgia does not have one. A...
Our Partners
