Tbilisi Mayor’s Office Starts Inspection of Construction Sites

(TBILISI)--Newly-elected Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze has ordered an immediate round of inspections at the city’s construction cites, saying severe labor violations are commonplace and becoming more frequent.

City Hall issued a verbal warning to over 100 construction sites and audits have been launched at over 50 construction objects, which face penalties.

“The recent situation at construction sites is very sad. People work without any insurance, which is categorically unacceptable,” Kaladze said on December 6.

He instructed the head of the Supervision Service, Giorgi Bagrationi, to strictly control the situation.

"Any developer who refuses to follow the established safety rules will be held legally responsible,” Kaladze stressed, adding that the Mayor’s Office will suspend all operation that do not comply with safety norms.

Kaladze also announced that all illegal constructions throughout the city will be demolished by the Supervision Service.

Bagrationi said eight construction sites in the city’s eastern Chughureti district have already been given warnings to demolish the buildings located on the state-owned plots.

“The owners of the buildings were given some time to demolish illegal buildings themselves and if they do not follow our instructions, they will be fined by 10,000 GEL ($3,700),” Bagrationi said.

Bagrationi called on Tbilisi residents to halt illegal construction projects on state-owned plots, as it is forbidden, and the Supervision Service will dismantle them anyway.