2018-03-30
Greetings,
Good morning,
Allow me to inform you about one change in the composition of the Government.
Eighteen months ago, when Zurab Alavidze was appointed Head of the Department for Strategic Projects Management at the Administration of the Government, an office in charge of regional project, I remember that it took quite some time to talk him into joining public service.
He would say back at the time that he could not see himself in the public sector in the long run because, in the 20 years I had known him, he had always been involved in the private sector.
I have known Zurab for a long time, and I would like to state he has always been an exceptionally effective manager wherever he worked. He has always opposed bureaucracy, being a result-oriented person himself. He has proved it while working in government, including the very important position of Minister of Regional Development and Infrastructure, as part of which he has showed considerable progress under the crucial spatial planning component of the four-point agenda.
Very important projects have been launched, such as the Rikoti section project and the Kutaisi-Abastumani connector. The Kutaisi-Svaneti connector has been designed to be launched soon, and so has the Zemo Imereti-Racha connector. As for water supply provision, the living conditions of almost 300,000 citizens have been improved thanks to the projects implemented by him. Therefore, I would like to thank him for his work and wish him success in his future endeavors which, I am convinced, will prove a success.
Allow me to endorse Maya Tskitishvili for the Office of Minister of Regional Development and Infrastructure. Maya has served as Head of the Administration of the Government since 2012, proving a very successful senior manager. It is not an easy decision for me because I believe that the job, and its scope, accomplished by Maya with excellence at the Administration of the Government, is a hard act to follow. It will be very difficult to find a person who can do this important job with equal success. However, the position of Minister of Regional Development and Infrastructure is important enough to compel me to make this decision, and I am convinced that Maya will prove a very successful minister! I am sure we have yet to see much success in spatial planning!
I would like to wish Maya success in this new capacity, and I do not doubt her success!
Also, I would like to address the political tittle-tattle in the past few days, especially yesterday. Information about this change was leaked, followed by all kinds of stories. As you know, the ministry of Infrastructure holds various tender competitions with different participating companies. Naturally, not every private sector entity can be equally happy and satisfied. Using different political means, including so-called opposition members lobbying concrete companies, they engaged in said tittle-tattling. I would like to assure you that these political speculations are totally groundless. I have told you the truth, and this is reality which, I am convinced, is very important to all our citizens.
Not to bore you with briefings at the Administration of the Government, I will say just a couple of words to those who, like a murder of crows, swarm around the 11th floor of the Administration of the Government, putting a timer on Prime Minister Kvirikashvili's resignation. I can assure them that this timer will not go off in at least a few years from now, so they can relax. They are so miserable and ridiculous. Let them sleep it off, while Georgia keeps moving forward.
Thank you very much!