Georgian PM Reshuffles Cabinet, Reduces Ministries

The Prime Minister of Georgia, Giorgi Kvirikashvili, has announced structural changes in the Government in a briefing earlier today. According to the Prime Minister, the number of the Ministries will be cut from 18 to 14. 

"The upcoming changes will serve the purpose of further progress, of shaping an even more modern state, which radically reduces administrative expenses”, the PM stressed.

Kvirikashvili announced that the State Ministry for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration will be merged with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, while Foreign Affairs Minister Mikheil Janelidze, will continue in his current post.

The Ministry of Environment will now form part of the Ministry of Agriculture, led by Levan Davitashvili, Minister of Agriculture.

The Ministry of Culture and Monument Protection will merge with the Sports Ministry, led by Mikheil Giorgadze, Minister of Culture.

The youth component from the Ministry of Sports will move to the Ministry of Education and Science of Georgia, which will be headed by the new Minister, Mikheil Chkhenkeli.

“Chkhenkeli is a Mathematician. He did his PhD at the University of Pennsylvania. Over the course of 20 years, Chkhenkeli taught at leading universities in the US,” the PM said.

The Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development is to be merged with the Ministry of Energy, to be led by Dimitry Kumsishvili, former Minister of Finance of Georgia. Kumsishvili will continue to be the first Vice Premier of the country.

Mamuka Bakhtadze, former General Director of Georgian Railways, will serve as the new Finance Minister.

“He is a well-educated and experienced Manager who has showed tangible results while running Georgian Railway. It was under his management that Georgian Railway was integrated into the Silk Road Corridor and active work was launched on the creation of the new Persian Gulf-Black Sea transit corridor, modern management systems were adopted and the railroad fleet was rejuvenated.,” the Prime Minister said.

Furthermore, Foreign Intelligence Service and the State Security Service are to be combined in one structure. 

The PM went on that Giorgi Gakharia, Former Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development, will now lead the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia, while Giorgi Mghebrishvili, former Minister of Internal Affairs, will now lead the newly formed Center for Emergency Management. 

“I am grateful to all members of our team for their work, those to whom these changes apply, and who of course remain members of our team. Our every campaign promise and reform has served the wellbeing of our citizens and the country’s rapid development,” said Kvirikashvili.

He added the time has come to build a modern state, when changes must apply to governmental institutions, so that a more flexible state apparatus may emerge, maximal optimization may be put in place, management may become more flexible, and bureaucracy may be reduced.

“I am convinced that these reforms and changes will make a tremendous difference in our country’s progress and development,” the PM concluded.

The recent changes are planned to be implemented during the upcoming government meeting, and consequently presented to Parliament to approval.

By Nino Gugunishvili and Thea Morrison