PM announces 'Government Town'

Georgia’s Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili has stated that under ongoing governance reforms, a town will be built in the Ortachala district in Tbilisi, in a territory adjacent to the soon-to-be-completed Business House building, from which the government will exercise its authority within a unified government space to house practically all ministries.

Kvirikashvili stressed that a unified service office, the Business House, is already under construction. To simplify services further, however, the government decided to implement the large-scale 'government town' project.

"A vast territory has been allocated to transfer our ministries. On one hand, it will free much office space and room for hotels in the city center, but it will also encourage the construction sector. A large area will be developed to house practically every ministry, with only a few exceptions, to ensure a qualitatively new stage in providing services to legal entities and individuals. It is a very important project, and I welcome its launch," Kvirikashvili stated.

An independent MP in the Tbilisi City Council, Aleko Elisashvili, has stated the PM’s statement was very likely to be news for the Tbilisi authorities.

Elisashvili stated that Tbilisi has its elected leadership, including the Mayor, and what and where things will be constructed in the capital city must be decided by the local government.

Elisashvili added that a general plan for Tbilisi was going to be presented at the end of April, drafted by experts, and he doubted the government town plan will be included in it.

The MP stressed it was more likely that the current authorities will continue their 'chaotic' construction projects in Tbilisi.

It is very obvious that Georgia’s capital city has turned into a domain of huge, mainly ugly ‘modern’ constructions, with increasingly fewer recreation zones.

Even by ignoring this - in a country where the vast majority of people live in poverty – the construction of the new town for the government, which already has its own buildings, will cost millions of GEL.

It would be better for the government to spend this money on economic projects that would ensure employment and local production in a long term perspective, or on the creation of new recreation zones.