2018-07-13
Mamuka Bakhtadze, Prime Minister of Georgia met with the Patriots of Georgia - Parliamentary Faction. Head of the Government of Georgia addressed the faction members and paid attention to the principles servicing as a basis of the new Government Program.
"First and foremost is that our historic choice will be brought to its fruition, ultimately manifesting in our Euro-Atlantic integration. Georgian Dream has had significant success towards this end and it needs to be capitalized further. Second of all is that we need to carry out fundamental and innovative reforms. You may well be aware of my position, claiming that the inherited economic model fails to ensure inclusive growth in the country. It has had sectors with no fair rules of game, thus significantly jeopardizing the prospects of inclusive economic growth. We need to eradicate them. New momentum will be given to the prospects of inclusive economic growth in Georgia. Thirdly, we are coming up with a concept of a small government. Main goal of the initiative is to implement the announced reforms in the shortest period of time. Government agencies need to become more effective and result oriented. In reference with the initiative, we have further reduced the number of ministries and currently propose 10 line ministries and 1 Office of the State Minister. At the same time, reform implies the increase of institutional oversight and control over the performance of public institutions, inter alia towards anti-corruption. Fourth principle is my lifelong priority and one of the main goals of my political agenda. It is education, youth and innovations. I strongly believe that educated, motivated and entrepreneurial citizens will be able to shape the country into a state, which will leave no other alternative to our Abkhaz and Ossetian citizens, resulting in a joint effort of building a strong country. And lastly, key priority of our political team has been and will remain to be an individual and care towards the human being. Each reform initiative will be aimed at boosting the welfare of our people. Our standard and degree of democracy and human rights needs to be kept very high to echo the past and shine the future of Georgian nation" stated the Prime Minister of Georgia in his address.
According to the Head of the Government of Georgia, submitted program and majority of initiatives elaborated in it need to be introduced throughout 2019, along with most of the announced reforms.
"Naturally, it does not refer to the education system reform, as it is a special case and essentially requires a long-term vision and action plan. Our goal is to create an economic model with these new reforms, which will enable us to cope with the key economic challenge in the country - which is the poverty eradication. It also implies excessive indebtedness and what is most important - introduction of fair rules of game in the national economy" noted the Prime Minister of Georgia.
According to him, new government program is aimed at specific results and has a tailored schedule of implementation, which will be followed very strictly.
"Team that I have presented is composed of people with relevant professions and experience, who demonstrated results in their previous careers or positions, which gives us grounds to say that this team will successfully cope with the aforesaid challenges, along with the implementation of this set of reforms. I stand ready to assume due political responsibility over the introduction of these reforms and initiatives" stated the Prime Minister of Georgia.
Also, while addressing the MPs, Head of the Government of Georgia noted that effectiveness of the new reforms and initiatives in combatting the economic challenges has been evidenced in the past three weeks, which were further elaborated by the Prime Minister with specific examples.
"Over the past three weeks I believe that we managed to demonstrate this. Impact has been exemplified in the initiation of one of the most important initiatives at the Executive Government Meeting, according to which tax arrears accrued to over 30 000 companies prior to January 1, 2013 have been fully written off, as it served as a reason of their idleness. Bulk of the arrears originated in 2011-2012, when taxpayers were accrued various taxes in a rather biased manner through different administrative tools and leverages. It led to the reduced economic performance in the country" noted the Prime Minister of Georgia.
Head of the Government of Georgia accepted questions of MPs after making a speech at the meeting with the parliamentary faction.