NGO Institute for Development of Freedom of Information (IDFI) has published its survey regarding the unification and structural changes of the ministries in 2017, noting that the reduction of 18 ministries to 14 did not bring reduced bureaucratic expenses.

The structural changes of the state institutions were carried out in December 2017 by the former Prime Minister, Giorgi Kvirikashvili.

The NGO says that following the 2017 structural changes in the ministries, the total cost of remuneration was maintained, while goods and service expenses increased by 15 million GEL in 2018.

The report reads that in the first five months of 2018, compared to the same period of the previous year, the Ministry of Education and Science spent 7.5 million GEL more on goods and services and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs increased expenses by 5 million GEL.

The organization believes that the process of reorganization of the ministries was conducted without prior calculation.

"The analysis of the unification of ministries in December 2017 revealed that there was a functional unification of the institutions that did not have any connection with the optimization of the bureaucracy," stated IDFI.

The current PM, Mamuka Bakhtadze, is carrying out his own structural changes to the ministries and plans to reduce 14 ministries to 10, in addition to the apparatus of the State Ministers. As the PM stated, he aims to reduce expenses and making the cabinet more effective.

"Regrettably, the public still does not have the detailed financial calculations of the reform. Consequently, at this stage it is difficult to determine how the reduction of bureaucratic expenses will happen,” says the IDFI.

By Thea Morrison

Related stories:

Georgian PM Reshuffles Cabinet, Reduces Ministries

Georgian PM Announces Structural Changes

Which Ministries Will Be Reduced in Georgia?