Optimization at Ministry of Defense Leaves 2250 Dismissed

The Ministry of Defense of Georgia (MoD) says the optimization process within the ministry has been completed, and in total 2250 people have been dismissed.

The statement released Monday reads that due to optimization, 400 part-time and 1350 full-time employees have been dismissed, alongside 217 officers and 123 Sergeants from the Armed Forces.

The Ministry says that 209 officers decided to leave the army themselves, and the compensation to be issued to them amounts to more than 5 million GEL.

Moreover, the statement reads that according to the order of the Chief of General Staff, a special working group was set up on November 12, 2016, in order to discuss the staff members, existing structures, and to implement recommendations needed for optimization.

The MoD says that mainly civilians, not servicemen, were dismissed.

“The optimization has also affected the leadership of the ministry. The position of Minister’s Advisor was abolished, which saved 389,556 GEL. The Advisors of the General Staff and its structures were also dismissed, which on the whole saved more than 1 million GEL,” the statement reads.

As a result of the reorganization and optimization of the Ministry of Defense, the savings amounted to over 32 million GEL.

The optimization in all 18 ministries of Georgia was ordered by Prime Minister, Giorgi Kvirikashvili, who commissioned the ministers to save state funds in order to improve the economic situation in the country.

By Thea Morrison