Georgia Set for “Revolutionary” Public Service Reform

Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili announced that the Georgian government has begun a public service reform and reminded all present at the governmental meeting that this was one of the main pre-election promises of the “Georgian Dream,” the current ruling coalition.

 According to the PM, public service will be one of the main reforms in the country that will begin and finalize under the rule of his government.

Reforming Georgian public service has always been on top of the domestic agenda for Georgianauthorities. There have been a number of progressive steps made to date.

Nevertheless, the country still faces serious challenges. According to the report by the Georgian Institute of Public Affairs (GIPA) in 2014, Georgian public service is experiencing problematic decision-making processes, the system is adapted to personalities, there is no clear division of tasks and functions between public bodies; and civil servants lack initiative and sometimes, competence. The work is unstable.

Modern, European public service is one of the main criteria for European integration. The Association Agreement (AA) signed between the EU and Georgia states that political dialogue on all areas of mutual interest, including domestic reform, should be further developed and “the Parties shall cooperate on further pursuing public administration reform and on building an accountable, efficient, effective, transparent and professional civil service”. 

Taking the EU requirements into consideration, the Georgian PM at the governmental meeting said that Georgia will implement a reform which will be “unprecedented”, and “even revolutionary”. It will “once and for all regulate the public service and create a professional, European, modern system”. In the coming days, the bill on public service will be sent to the Georgian Parliament for further examination.