საქართველოს მთავრობა|Government of Georgia

2019-04-03

Initiative of Mamuka Bakhtadze, Prime Minister of Georgia to spend 6% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) i.e. quarter of the State Budget of the country on education and youth will be endorsed by the Parliament shortly. Respective legislative initiative will be approved at the Executive Government Meeting tomorrow prior to its submission to the legislative authority.

Information on a wide-scale reform of the education system was shared by the Prime Minister of Georgia with youth at TechnoPark today. Head of Government of Georgia stressed the priority of the education sector and noted that along with occupation and social challenges, it is a systemic problem that education had been funded with a very marginal share of the State Budget over years.

"Spirit of the law will be to ascertain that it is a sovereign priority and it should be reflected in the State Budget. Significance of the initiative being solidified at the legislative level rests in the long-term nature of the education reform. It may be that we carry out this initiative throughout 5-6 years and spend a quarter of the State Budget towards this end, however nobody is immune from a future populistic power or politicians in the authority diverting these funds to other end which may be more marketable at that given moment, thus shrinking investments in the education sector. If that happens, all the previous funding will end up being all in vain as education requires a sustainable track record and long-term investments. Therefore, it should all be solidified at the legislative level to prevent anyone from decreasing investments towards education" noted the Prime Minister of Georgia.

Head of Government of Georgia provided information to the youth on the current funding of the sector, which is 1.6 BLN GEL in the form of an earmarking from the State Budget. In the coming year it will reach 2 BLN GEL, in 2021 - 2.5 BLN GEL, while in 2022 - it will be 3.4 BLN GEL, i.e. 6% of GDP. In the opinion of the Prime Minister of Georgia, it exceeds the classic framework of a reform and thus manifests itself into a national idea or a vision on how to advance Georgia. Head of Government stressed the significance of a wide engagement of the youth for the success of the reform and noted that knowledge-based economy is the most significant pre-requisite of the sovereign development.

Head of Government of Georgia introduced Revaz Charkviani to the youth, who will serve as a Consultant to the Prime Minister of Georgia on Youth Affairs.

Prime Minister's Press Office