Week 14: Commas and Decimals

Picture of Georgia's currency, the Lari

When someone says, 'Georgia', what comes to mind? Does the nation's name illicit mental images of an underdeveloped, post-Soviet country? Do you think of horses and plows with little contact to the global economy? In many instances, Georgia is very much still developing. Outside of the larger cities, people's livelihoods depend on agricultural means and unemployment is extremely high. However, one particular aspect of Georgian life demonstrating high-tech savviness is the financial sector.

One of the most fascinating aspects of living and working in Georgia has been the 'Bankomat'! A fascinating machine, the Bankomat is an ATM style kiosk where one can pay all of their bills - and I mean all of them - in a convenient location.

Picture of a bankomat!

You got bills you want to pay? Me too! With a touch of a button, you can pay for your utilities, insurance, phone, mortgage, etc. You can do all of this in either Georgian, English, or Russian!

To pay for your phone bill, you simply type your number, select, your plan, insert money or card, and Voila! Your bill is paid!

Looking to pay those pesky utilities without the hassle, look no further than your friendly bankomat! You can select your service, and your provider! With a few clicks, your utilities are taken care of!

A bit of a lead foot and have to pay a fine? Parked your car and the meter expired? Want to buy a bus or train ticket? You can do that here, too!

Last but not least, do you want to give to charity? Or maybe do a little online shopping? The bankomat is here for you!

As for the general Georgian economy, most of Georgia's wealth has come from being a transportation hub (think BTC pipeline), some natural resources (Chiatura, my home, is known for their Manganese deposits), foreign investment (a liberalized market and relative easy of doing business), and remittances (many women work abroad in elderly homes in countries like Italy and Greece). Although the country is still impoverished by Western standards, the Georgian government has focused on educating their populace in order to attract investors. As for other aspects of Georgia's economy, it is still very much cash-based in the local shops and bazaars. However, you can use a debit or credit card in most established businesses and chains. In recent news, the Lari (Georgian money) has been getting a lot of attention because the currency conversion rate from Lari's to USD has seen a relative increase (1 dollar equals 2.69 Lari as of today, 01/28/2017).

'Tetri' or Georgian cents