Page 68 - GEORptNov21

Georgia outlines defence procurement priorities for next decade
involvement of experts from the UK.
The Georgian government has revealed its defence procurement priorities up to 2030. They include the acquisition of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and new artillery systems, and a revitalisation of the country's defence housing infrastructure.
At a ceremony for the release of the Action Plan of the Georgian Defence Forces 2020–30 on July 22, Minister of Defense Juansher Burchuladze revealed that the country would be acquiring additional Javelin anti-tank missiles in 2021 from the US. Negotiations are also under way with Polish and South African companies to establish joint ventures (JVs) in the country with the Ministry of Defence (MoD)-owned company Delta STC in 2022. The JVs would be established to manufacture small and large UAVs in the country as part of efforts to bolster intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance (ISTAR) capabilities.
Georgia will also be regenerating its artillery capabilities from 2024, including the procurement of mortar systems from local companies, and acquiring other artillery systems from other countries. Delta STC displayed a 120 mm mortar carrier variant of its Didgori vehicle at the IDEX 2019 trade show, with the company noting at the time that it was in line for a “significant” contract with the Georgian MoD.
9.1.14 E-commerce sector news
Georgia e-commerce market more than tripled in 2020 report says
E-commerce in Georgia increased more than threefold year-on-year in 2020 to nearly $45mn, a Galt&Taggart report states.
The report summary reads as follows:
"The Covid-19 pandemic has boosted Georgia’s e-commerce market, as lockdowns encouraged many to purchase online for the first time or increase the frequency of online purchases. The lockdowns also forced Georgian companies to expand their online offerings.
The size of the local e-commerce market increased 3.2x y/y to GEL 137.9mn in 2020, with its share in total (local and cross-border) up from 11% in 2018 to 23% in 2020, according to our estimates. However, the e-commerce penetration rate in Georgia is very low at 1.1% of retail sales, far from the average 12% in Europe. Furthermore, total annual e-commerce spending per user stood at c. GEL 950 in 2020 in Georgia, 3x lower than that of European average. With development of local retailers’ online platforms and increased trust from customers, we believe the share of local e-commerce will rise, grabbing more than half of total e-commerce spending by 2025.
We expect local e-commerce spending to grow at a CAGR of 52% to GEL 1.1bn over 2020-25, yielding penetration rate of 4.7%. We believe that the Georgia’s e-commerce sector growth will be supported by: 1) an increasing number of users engaged in online shopping; 2) growth in average annual spending per customer; and 3) local online retailers grabbing a larger share from cross-border online spending. We see ample room to scale up across all product categories as e-commerce penetration is less than 3% in every product segment in Georgia.
The most popular category in local e-commerce is electronics, household appliances and equipment, accounting for 65% of local e-commerce sales in 2020, according to our estimates. Retailers in this category started to invest in digital channels long before Covid-19 hit, entering lockdown more prepared than other sectors. Apparel and accessories are the 2nd-largest category, grabbing 16% of the local e-commerce market, followed
68 GEORGIA Country Report November 2021 www.intellinews.com