New Gov’t of Georgia Approved
By Gvantsa Gabekhadze
Tuesday, July 17
The parliament of Georgia approved the new cabinet of Georgia and the 2018-2020 Freedom, Rapid Development and ProsperityGovernment Program initiated by the new Prime Minister Mamuka Bakhtadze.
PM Bakhtadze, his cabinet and program were approved by 101 votes against 12 in the 150-seat parliament late on Sunday.
The opposition did not support the renewed cabinet and the prime minister.
The new cabinet consists of 10 ministers and one state minister after PM Bakhtadze carried out structural changes and reduced the number of ministries from 14 to 11.
There are three newcomers for the positions of minister of economy, finance and education in the cabinet.
“When we talk about unfair rules in the economy, the clearest example of this is 2011-2012, when incorrect tax liabilities were imposed on our entrepreneurs and the major part of Georgian companies. Based on this, our first idea is to fully annul the tax arrears of the period before January 1, 2013”, Bakhtadze said about his program.
“This will apply to about 36,000 taxpayers. They have families, energy and opportunity to continue their full participation in the country's economic life”, Bakhtadze stated.
The new PM believes that through the decrease of number of ministries the government will save more than 100 millions of GEL annually, without dismissal of the ministries’ personnel.
The opposition remains skeptical about Bakhtadze’s programme and says that the new PM will do what the “real rule of the country,” founder of the Georgian Dream party, ballooner Bidzina Ivanishvili says.
The new PM was nominated by the Georgian Dream ruling party after the resignation of Giorgi Kvirikashvili on June 13, as he had disagreements with the team and Ivanishvili over the country’s economic policy, as Kvirikashvili told the media.
