2021-06-25
Irakli Garibashvili, Prime Minister of Georgia delivered a Government Performance Report and 10-Year Country Development Plan at the Plenary Session of the Parliament today.
"Mr. Speaker, Members of Parliament, Distinguished Guests, let me greet you all!
Last year was full of unordinary challenges and difficulties for our country and the entire world. It is, of course, unfortunate that it took the lives of many people. Apart from the humanitarian crisis, the pandemic has led to an unprecedented global economic crisis, which was heavily reflected on the lives of each citizen of our country.
Artificially created, a so-called political crisis added to the most severe real problems experienced by our society in recent months.
I was entrusted with this demanding position in these difficult conditions, three months ago.
Elaborate overview of the reporting period was recently submitted to you. Let us still briefly review the government performance once again in the indicated period.
Our economy shrank by 6.2% due to the pandemic last year. Nevertheless, we did not stop the infrastructure projects or agriculture works even for a minute. Neither did the significant sectors of production in the country. State has provided maximum support directly or through various concessions to entrepreneurs and employees.
We managed to raise 2.1 billion USD from international financial institutions in a short period of time. It made it possible to provide full funding for the COVID response measures and for maintaining macroeconomic stability in the country.
We developed a strong package of measures for healthcare, social and business support.
Healthcare costs have totaled 900 million GEL.
Business support has amounted to 3 billion GEL.
Social security measures of our citizens have reached 1.3 billion GEL.
This year is bound to be all about the declining impact of the pandemic and economic recovery. Let me remind you that export increased by 70% in April and exceeded even the pre-pandemic indicator, thus clearly demonstrating the signs of improvement.
Transit and logistic potential is advancing, along with the transport infrastructure. Integration in the international transport networks is progressing along with the transformation of Georgia into a regional hub.
Almost 600 kilometers of roads have been rehabilitated in the reporting period. Almost 70 kilometers of the highway have been commissioned, thus reducing the time of travel from Tbilisi to Batumi by 1 hour.
Construction of the Marine Terminal of Poti has entered its active phase. The Deep Sea Port of Anaklia remains a priority.
About 82% of construction works are completed at Baku-Tbilisi-Kars Project and transportation of cargo is in its pilot phase.
Let me remind you that we have started to resume the regular air flights. Construction of a new terminal at Kutaisi International Airport has been completed.
Rural development and availability of jobs locally are essential for economic stability and strength. Every large or small project aims at this very rural development and creation of new jobs locally. The State Program branded as Rejuvenated Regions has been tentatively budgeted at 500 million Gel in its first phase.
Gas and water supply measures in regions are actively progressing.
Policies in support of rural agenda and agriculture are pursued as intended. Within the scope of Rural Development, over 8 300 infrastructure projects in total were selected last and this year for funding.
Access to finance grew through a Concessional Agri-Credit Program.
We have significant results as well. For instance, export of agricultural produce has exceeded 942 million USD, thus being 84.5% higher than the respective indicator in 2012.
European environmental standards are being introduced on a gradual basis.
New Forest Code ensures an organized management of timer works and protection of forests.
Space of protected areas grew by 280 000 hectares in recent years and currently constitutes 12% of our country.
A number of infrastructure projects and works carried out at protected areas have created new places of attraction along with new opportunities both for local population and general public.
I wish to once again focus on the recent foreign policy in my assessment. Our prime goal is a fully-fledged integration of Georgia into the EU and Euro-Atlantic space.
Let me remind you that we will be submitting an official application for EU membership in 2024.
Cooperation with the EU is deepening both at the highest political and institutional levels.
Relations are at the highest level with the main strategic ally of our country - the United States of America.
Unwavering support of the USA to Georgia is evidenced by the bills passed by the US Congress at the end of 2020. Also, Georgia Support Act re-initiated by Co-Chairing Congressmen of the Georgia Friendship Group in February of the current year has led to an increased US funding.
We are effectively using all the tools for membership in the North Atlantic Alliance.
I already declared that Georgia is ready for NATO membership by all parameters.
Our servicemen in NATO missions deployed in Afghanistan have demonstrated the capacity of our country. I wish to express my gratitude again to our heroic servicemen, who are decently engaged in international missions and returning to their homeland.
Support against occupation and non-recognition policy is becoming stronger by time at international level. We are very effectively working towards punishing offenders for abusing the lives of our citizens and releasing our unlawfully detained citizens, including Zaza Gakheladze and Irakli Bebua.
Vivid example of our efforts is the Court Ruling made in Strasbourg on the Case: Georgia vs Russia (II). Mass violations of human rights towards ethnic Georgians have led to charges brought against Russia.
In addition, we continue with active policies of trust recovery, result-oriented reconciliation and engagement of Abkhaz and Ossetian brothers, including the economic incentives for joint initiatives within the scope of a Step to a Better Future.
I also wish to tell you that residents of the occupied regions are our citizens and care for their wellbeing is our responsibility.
During the pandemic we provided support to them in various directions through joint efforts implemented with our partners. We supplied them with medical equipment, medication and vaccines in the value of about 4 million GEL. We also treated 1500 individuals from occupied regions.
Infrastructure, socio-economic, healthcare and education programs are being implemented for people living in the vicinity of the division lines.
War in Nagorno-Karabakh has challenged the entire region with significant difficulties. Naturally, peace and stability in the neighbourhood is essential for our country. We continue with balanced and mutually beneficial cooperation policies.
Agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan is the most prominent success of our policies with my most recent facilitation and US support. It is indeed an unprecedented event, which highlights our special role in ensuring the peace in the region.
I wish to once again express my gratitude to the leaders of both countries - President Aliyev and Prime Minister Pashinyan. I hereby express readiness to continue with this process for reaching common peace and stability.
We are pursuing an intensive dialogue with Turkey to deepen our cooperation in trade and economy, agriculture and other sectors.
Success of our international policy is evidenced by the increased presence of Georgia in international organizations.
Ethnic Georgians currently living and working overseas can tremendously contribute to the development and international promotion of our country. Our priority is to protect the rights and lawful interests of our citizens overseas. At the same time and irrespective of the pandemic, we are actively supporting creative arts groups and youth within Georgian Diasporas by encouraging Georgian language teaching, arts and culture centres and maintenance of historic monuments. Particularly gratifying is the completion of the first phase of reconstruction and rehabilitation at the Leuville Estate in France.
Reforms are progressing towards strengthening the national security and total defence of our country. A great number of steps have been made towards increasing our compatibility with NATO, improved defense capacity of our country and rewarded military service.
An updated NATO-Georgia Essential Package is being actively implemented. As part of our partnership with the United States, we are successfully implementing a program of historic significance - The GDRP. The Defense Forces Action Plan 2020-2030 has been published, which sets out the following key priority areas: development of anti tank, air defense, artillery, intelligence and engineering capabilities.
We acquired and in the near future will additionally purchase modern anti-tank means - The Javelins.
We were able to restore Georgian military aviation from practically zero in the shortest period of time. Air defense system is being successfully developing, along with the provision of N4-type rifles of NATO and advanced machine guns, grenade launchers and other means.
We started the development of Georgian military industry. For the first time in the history of our army, about 40 armored vehicles made in Georgia were handed over to the Defense Forces and this process will continue in the future.
For the effective production of armaments, we actively use our enterprise Delta to produce the output envisaged in our strategy through joint ventures.
Military and dual-use output is also being actively manufactured at the premises of the Delta Center. Delta-Textile is already operational. We are currently working on a complete replacement and upgrade of Soviet obsolete equipment. 500 units of special equipment of modern brands have already been purchased and the infrastructure of the Defense Forces will be fully aligned with NATO standards in the near future.
As part of the rewarded military service, salaries were increased along with the nutrition intake and improved healthcare, education, equipment and other deliverables.
Reforms are underway to ensure law and order, strengthen the criminal, border, patrol police and to modernize and develop the penitentiary system.
We have made significant progress in the fight against organized crime, trafficking, narcotics and cyber crime.
Let me use this opportunity and thank our policemen, who are protecting the public safety by risking their lives. Remuneration of policemen has increased and will be increased further. We will do our best to further reward their dedication.
We are working on the new National Human Rights Strategy of highest standards, which is aimed at eradication of discrimination through policies of inclusiveness and equality, improved gender equality, reduction of risks of violence against women and domestic violence, protection of the rights of the child. ALL of these are, of course, our priorities.
Amendments have been made to the Labour Code, which significantly improve the rights of employees. State Policy on Civic Equality and Integration is aimed at ensuring the equal, comprehensive and decent engagement of each citizen in public life, advancement of multicultural society. Government effort is aimed at boosting the knowledge of the state language among the enthic minorities.
Management of the pandemic is the current priority of our healthcare system. Construction, rehabilitation and refurbishment of state healthcare facilities have been accelerated. Performance of the state medical holding has convinced us in having our own resources for the delivery of state medical services when developing the healthcare system in the country.
Within the emergency response coordination and rescue centre 57 new administrative buildings have been constructed nation-wide, while 5 are being built at present.
Work has started on the Social Code for the establishment of a solid, fair and effective system of social security, which is aimed at the reform of social, healthcare and insurance systems.
Currently, all medical services related to the treatment of COVID-19 are free of charge for every citizen of Georgia.
Remuneration of healthcare professionals engaged in the fight against the pandemic has been increased by 50%. Salaries of emergency rescue staff and village doctors have been increased as well. Within the scope of Tuberculosis (TB) Management Program, payroll of medical personnel has been increased by 30%.
Funding for Healthcare Programs is increasing every year.
Amount to be annually compensated for the treatment of cancer diseases has been increased by 8000 GEL. Namely, beneficiaries of baseline, targeted and veteran packages may get medical services in the value of 20 000 GEL instead of the formerly provided 12 000 GEL. Age-specific healthcare package beneficiaries receive funding for 23 000 GEL instead of formerly administered 15 000 GEL.
Georgia maintains progress in the prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS, TB and Hepatitis C.
Social programs and services for the reduced poverty and social risks are pursued without interruption.
Allowances to socially vulnerable children have been doubled from July 1 and 100 GEL has been set per child. Coverage will increase as well and support will be provided to households with children if and when their scoring is 100 000 instead of formerly administered 120 000.
With the new rule of indexation envisaged in the Law of Georgia on State Pension, increased pensions will be paid out to pensioners from January 1. Currently, the state pension is 240 GEL a month. This is, of course, not enough and should increase. We will be increasing it in the coming years. Pensiones in high terrain regions are getting a 20% supplement on top of their monthly pensions. Thus, the state pension in the highlands is 288 GEL a month, while pensioners at 70 or older are getting 330 GEL a month. Of course, it is not enough either. We all understand that it is by no means sufficient, but what we did is very good and essential. Indexation has come into force from January 1.
As for jobs in general, labor security and protection of the rights of employees, the state is providing support with housing and/or cash to 42 976 households (119 043 individuals) as of today.
Housing has been provided to 3 000 eco-migrant households.
Another 3 000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) and almost 250 eco-migrant households will be provided housing by the end of 2021.
Support to the persons with disabilities has been increased and a social package tailored to them is being increased to 250 GEL from July.
Reform implemented at every tier of education is aimed at systemic development. Long-term prospects of development in education and science are elaborated in the 10-Year Development Plan, which is actively designed by the Ministry of Education and Science.
The State Monitoring Program of children left beyond schooling was carried out for the first time ever in 2021 to ensure equal access to education. In parallel, different curriculum has been designed and active work is pursued for their return to schooling.
Let me also tell you that we built 174 new public schools and fully rehabilitated 257 school buildings in the past 8 years.
Education process was partially remotely administered due to the pandemic. We not only coped with this task with great merits to our teachers and Ministry of Education, but became one of the countries that stand out internationally.
Wide-scale reform was carried out towards vocational education and this process continues. System is getting closer to the European standards. National qualifications have been modernized; a pool of adequately qualified teachers has been created; teaching resources have been developed. System of vocational education became more flexible and tailored to the needs of each stakeholder. Adults are offered training courses and programs, ideally leading to immediate employment.
Infrastructure has been built and refurbished. This process continues further. Vocational education has become accessible in every region. Every municipality should have a vocational training centre. It is our aim and goal. Several new colleges will be ready to admit students in the nearest future.
Significant achievement of the reform is the model of institutional setting and management, which has been recognized as a unique platform by international partners. It is a result of intensive cooperation with the private sector. We have established a Professional Skills Agency, which implies co-participation of the private sector in every component of the reform.
Universities have taken into consideration our recommendations during the pandemic and students have been offered a deferred payment of tuition fees or flexible schedules of tuition payments as a social support measure.
We have achieved significant progress towards internationalization of higher education and quality advancement.
Mega project in the face of Kutaisi International University (KIU) acquires a special importance for transforming our country into an international education hub. KIU admitted its first students this year.
After the completion of a Hadron Therapy Centre at KIU, Georgia will have the best team of scientists of international magnitude, which will facilitate the internationalization of national science.
We are working on the Culture Code, which is based on the principles of fairness, proportionality and protection of human rights.
Top-caliber European professionals will be engaged in the full protection of universal values of Gelati Monastery - a monument of global historic legacy.
Let me also tell you that access to culture has increased, especially in high-terrain regions, IDPs from occupied territories, residents of settlements along the division line and persons with disabilities.
Let me also share with you the joy brought by 200 - out of which 65 gold - medals won by Georgian athletes in international tournaments.
Our country has hosted a great number of wide-scale sports events and has acquired a special place in the global sports map.
Tbilisi will be hosting the final stage of European Championship in Basketball in 2022, Freestyle Ski and Snowboarding World Championship in 2023 and Winter Youth Olympic Festival in 2025.
Significant sports venues were built with support of the Government of Georgia in recent years. Olympic Palace, Gymnastics and Volleyball Arenas, Swimming Pool of Olympic Standards, Batumi Football Stadium and Sports Palace, a number of rugby and football fields are ready for hosting large international tournaments. A Sports Palace for Basketball is being built, which will host the European Championship in 2022.
We are actively training for the Tokyo Olympiad and I want you to join me in wishing every success to our athletes.
As for the decentralisation of the public administration system and development of local authorities, our goal is to establish a scheme based on European values, of course.
Effectiveness of our fight against corruption has been evidenced by the recent study of Transparency International. Our country maintains advanced position in the Corruption Perceptions Index, ranking first in the region this year again. We are 45th among 180 countries of the world, running ahead of 9 EU member states.
I wish to note herewith that we are ranked 5th among 117 countries of the world by complete transparency in the Budget Transparency Index.
That is in short and general concepts our performance and outcomes in the past year.
I believe that after a rather difficult process, we can say today that with great efforts of the national authorities we have advanced to a new stage in every direction by staying committed to rule of law and unwavering loyalty to sovereign interests.
Today we can truly say that we will receive more than a million doses of COVID vaccine in the coming days. Let me remind you that we have reached negotiations with Pfizer to receive one million vaccines, as well as another million from Sinofarm, one million from Sinovac and 700,000 doses from Novavax. In total, by the end of this year, we will receive 4 million doses, which will be quite sufficient to immunise 60% of the population as intended.
I wish to use this opportunity and express my gratitude to our heroic doctors!
After a difficult period, our economy began to grow. Last year was very difficult not only for our country, but for the whole world. Economy grew by 4% in March and we had a record-high 44.8% economic growth in April. We expect an increase of over 20% in May. I do not want to jump ahead of events, but growth statistics for May will be published very soon.
In the last hundred days, political life has returned to a more-or-less normal course of events.
Today, the Parliament of Georgia is fully functioning in accordance with the mandates granted by the people. I would like to take this opportunity to thank our partners - Charles Michel, President of the European Council and everyone involved in the mediation process.
Our task now is to ultimately overcome the pandemic, ensure rapid economic recovery and return to a normal pace of life.
However we need to look much further. I told you at our previous meeting in Parliament that I consider it my task not to get content with the success stories achieved since coming to power and progress we have made in all directions. We need to embrace the problems and challenges - not only the occupation of the country, but the high levels of unemployment and poverty as well.
Today, over 300 000 people are unemployed in Georgia, which is almost 22% of the employable population.
As of May, 153 000 households are receiving subsistence benefits, which is about 550 000 of our fellow citizens, including 180 000 children.
These numbers only assure us that we need to take more vigorous steps towards development.
We need a long-term development plan that ensures the well-being, equality, stability and security of each citizen and our approximation with our historic mission of EU and NATO integration.
Long-term planning is needed to make development processes predictable. For our population, as well as for business, for foreign partners, it should be clear to everyone, which direction we are moving, where the country and society are going, what concrete results the work of the government will bring.
We must overcome inertia when politicians and parties think in electoral categories, from one election to another election date. We must set a new horizon for the development of our country. That is what my initiative on the 10-Year Development Plan meant, the main aspects of which I will now present. The plan will be finalized by this autumn. Drafting will be completed by the end of September. Our task is to involve everyone in this process - both the parliament and the non-government sector, as well as the private sector. Our foreign partners are fully prepared to get engaged in this process in order to shape a comprehensive document and vision for long-term development - elaborating on what the country should look like in 2030.
The economy has a crucial role to play in the long-term development of our country.
We need to develop export-oriented local production, promote small and medium-sized businesses, attract foreign investment and gradually integrate into the EU single market to make sure that benefits of economic development in Georgia affect each citizen of the country.
We are going to achieve this goal by strengthening small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), encouraging innovation, improving the investment environment, reforming state-owned enterprises (SOEs), minerals and energy, other sectors and developing infrastructure.
We have launched a new state program to promote foreign investment, the so-called FDI Grant. A mechanism of pre-training of the workforce is being considered, along with other initiatives.
Ultimately, our task should be to increase the number of international investors in the country as soon as possible.
Special attention is paid to the development of local production and manufacturing, especially the SME segment.
According to our plan, Enterprise Georgia as a program will finance 1300 new enterprises and 400 hotels, with a total investment budget of 6 billion GEL.
A scheme of promoting regional entrepreneurship will be introduced in order to provide technical assistance and support to SMEs, which means the development of Business Centers in 10 regions throughout Georgia.
Also rapid economic development and promotion of our business should be one of the main tasks of the Government of Georgia.
We are well aware of the challenges that businesses face as a result of the pandemic. As we stated in the first days of our administration, we will promote efficient and fast recovery of businesses.
As I promised, in parallel with the easing of COVID regulations and intensified economic performance, the area and scale of state support programs will increase, inter alia through Enterprise Georgia.
Today I can tell you that we are starting a whole new phase of state support for businesses.
Low interest bearing business loans will be available to borrowers in almost all industries. In addition, we will not only finance the interest rate, but will also co-secure the loan. This means that more individuals and businesses will have access to finance.
In addition, we are introducing qualitatively new financial mechanisms for the import substitution and export-oriented sectors. Also, a special program to support agro- and eco-tourism facilities. Our citizens and businesses will be able to benefit from additional grant schemes.
Most importantly, we are not limited to direct business support and are launching a new program to facilitate the purchase of housing for families. Large families, as well as families with new offsprings, will be able to take advantage of mortgage subsidies and thus create/improve living conditions.
Over 300 million GEL will be mobilized in addition in 2021 and 2022 years to ensure the success of these initiatives.
In the long run, we will be able to employ 100 000 citizens in addition in SMEs alone and productivity will increase by 50 percent.
Today, the mineral extraction sector employs about 37 000 people. As a result of effective implementation of the reform, up to 30 000 new jobs will be created by 2030.
One of our main goals should be to develop foreign trade. Today we have a free trade regime with 45 countries and a customs administration unit. We are working hard to add 11 countries to this list in the coming years.
I would also like to tell you that in the long run, the Enterprise Georgia as an agency will help over 2000 companies to export from Georgia.
Export of goods in 2012 totaled 2.4 billion USD. Respective indicator for 2020 was 3.3 billion USD. Our goal should be to reach 5 billion USD in exports in the coming years.
Strengthening energy security is, of course, one of our main tasks. Great attention will be paid to the optimal use of renewable energy sources. We expect the generation capacity to exceed 7 000 MW in the next ten years. Most of the new capacities will come from renewable energy sources.
In order to have direct access to the European electricity market, special attention will be paid to the implementation of the Black Sea submarine transmission line project. We are already talking about this with the EU - our partners.
As for tourism, here I would like to elaborate on this very important direction. Our task should be to position Georgia on the world tourism map as a country of advanced, all-season, high quality service provider, generating diverse and unique experiences. New tourist attraction centers and destinations in all municipalities will be added to the existing ones. Our task should be to increase the number of tourists to 13 million in the coming years.
Revenues from tourism, by our estimates, will reach 6.5 billion USD in the coming years.
One of our main tasks should be the development of agriculture. For this, we plan to fully register the land fund and provide the population with land plots, equipment, advice of agriculture professionals, access to finance, establishment of processing and sales conditions, as well as promotion of Georgian products overseas.
In 2012, water was supplied to 45 thousand hectares of land and to 172 thousand hectares this year. For the next 10 years, our task should be to reach 227 thousand hectare threshold. Land irrigation system will be fully restored in the coming years, according to our plan.
Self-sufficiency with food will gradually increase and it should be one of our main tasks.
By 2030, we should double the production output of pork, poultry and beef, while the dairy production will reach 108 percent by our estimates.
Revenues from wine exports will increase to a billion.
In general, agriculture commodity exports reached 500 million USD in 2012, 942 million USD in 2020, and in the ten-year period this indicator should become at least 3 billion USD.
With the right investments we will improve the condition of roads with domestic and international significance.
Since 2012 we have built 151 kilometers of highways. Also, prior to that, for comparison, I would like to remind our opponents that during their administration - in 2007-2012 - only 68 kilometers were built.
In the coming years, a total of 31 billion GEL will be spent on infrastructure projects.
Within the framework of a project branded as Renewed Regions, 63 municipalities will receive and spend 500 million GEL this year. This urban renewal program will continue next year and beyond - in the years to come.
The 430 kilometer-long highway will, of course, be completed by 2030.
With the completed construction of the Red Bridge-Sarpi Highway of modern safety standards, travel time will be halved and instead of 8 hours, it will only require 4 hours to commute.
All cities will have round-the-clock water supply in 2025 and the entire population of the country will have full access to licensed and quality water supply in 2030. This should be our main task.
Support for highlanders will continue.
For our team, one of the priorities should be to meet environmental standards.
Fighting against the air pollution remains a major challenge around the world. Our task should be to improve air quality in the coming years, to take complex measures to reduce air, water and soil pollution.
Modern European approaches should, of course, be based on the expansion and management of protected areas. Over the next 10 years, the size of protected areas will increase from 800 000 hectares to 1 million, which is about 17% of the territory of our country. Revenues from eco-tourism in protected areas should increase fivefold.
A European system of water resource management will be introduced throughout our country. We must improve the ecological condition of our rivers, ensure the rational use of water.
We will tighten measures to eliminate poaching and deforestation.
The task of our healthcare sector today is to fight the pandemic - to end it. At the same time, we continue to work on long-term reforms and projects.
Our main concern for the next 10 years should be: to improve access to quality healthcare and medicines for our citizens; Strengthening the primary healthcare system, introducing new technologies; Strengthening the state-owned hospital network; Increase the motivation of staff employed in the health sector; Halving morbidity and mortality from non-communicable diseases; Minimize new cases of TB and AIDS. Also, over a 10-year period, out-of-pocket payments for healthcare services should be reduced from 47 to 30%.
Social policy goals are to develop a Social Code and to implement social, health and insurance reform within it.
We will continue paying close attention to the quality and accessibility of education - we are actively working on this. Particular attention will be paid to both the rehabilitation of schools and improvement of infrastructure at large, as well as to the integration of our education and science at an international level.
Over the next 10 years, higher education will be funded with 2.830 billion GEL, while the science - with 2.104 billion GEL.
Teacher salaries will be gradually increased and exceed 2200 GEL for an average workload by 2030.
In the coming years, budget allocations for general education will exceed 2.230 billion GEL, higher education - 270 million GEL and science - 243 million GEL. State budget allocations for vocational education will reach 554 million GEL.
In the field of defense, I want to elaborate our plans once again. Our long-term priority is to develop antitank, air defense, artillery, intelligence and surveillance, engineering capabilities.
Our priority should be the development of a Georgian military industry.
In the near future, at the premises of Delta, we will start producing American M4 rifles together with a Jewish company.
From next year, we plan to domestically produce unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) at the premises of Depta in cooperation with international partners.
As part of our project for the provision of housing housing to the military personnel, over 1000 servicemen have already received housing and this process will continue in the future.
By 2030, we will have an effective, state-of-the-art combat force capable of adequately responding to threats in a timely manner.
The legal system will be developed and get approximated to European standards.
Criminal police will be reformed with the aim of complete separation of investigative, precinct and operational areas.
Amendments to the Criminal Procedural Code of Georgia will be fully enacted, which will clearly separate the powers of the investigator and the prosecutor.
It is also planned to purchase a fleet and special equipment, including rescue vehicles for emergency response services and 2 new helicopters for border guards.
Smart cameras will be installed in all cities and highways across the country.
Instead of old, dilapidated buildings we will build new ones. Initiative will cover regions as much as possible. New police and emergency rescue facilities will be built in hard-to-reach and highland areas.
New sectors and border protection infrastructure will be built, which will provide maximum cover for every segment of the entire country.
We plan to fully replenish and substitute the obsolete weapons with special equipment. The system will be equipped with new, modern weapon systems.
An electronic dispatch program will be launched to increase the effectiveness of response to crime and other offenses.
The so-called Crime Stopper Scheme will be launched, which will allow citizens of the country to promptly provide police with information about violations, thus ensuring the development of analytical systems based on artificial intelligence (AI).
An early warning system will be introduced with short text messaging to notify subscribers in a dangerous area about an incident or potential threat.
According to our plan, a gradual increase in wages is planned every two years in a 10-year timeline.
We are also working on a new, national strategy of higher standards for the elimination of discrimination, by ensuring inclusiveness and equality policies, gender equality, reduction of the risk of violence against women and domestic violence, and protection of the rights of the child.
As for the plans of the Ministry of Justice, our main task should be to harmonize with EU law as much as possible in the coming years and to complete this process.
Also, one of our main plans and tasks of the next years is to create small-scale prisons with European standards.
Employment of current and former prisoners will be ensured as much as possible.
Juvenile prisoners will be placed in family-type facilities.
Another major goal that should be set in the coming years is to complete the registration of the Land Fund. Address reference points in all settlements will be fully specified.
The process of service digitalization will be completed.
Very important plans have been elaborated in the field of arts and culture for the next 10 years:
We need to increase access to culture, in general. Care and protection of cultural heritage should be one of our main priorities and we will continue working very actively towards this end by boosting creative activities and industries, developing arts education and access to it by our citizens, popularizing Georgian arts and culture abroad.
As for the plans of the Ministry of Finance for the coming years, these should be the pro-business tax administration reforms; Introduction of a tax system focused on economic growth; Reform of the Tax Dispute Resolution Board, which will significantly speed up the resolution of tax disputes in general and increase the quality.
Our goals include capital market development reform, SOE reform, public investment management reform, consistent reduction of public debt levels to pre-pandemic levels.
As for our plans towards foreign affairs, I would like to elaborate on it. Policy of reconciliation and inclusion between war-torn societies should of course be our main task. We have a plan to develop a strategy for socio-economic development of Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali region. At the initial stage, the concept of socio-economic rehabilitation of Gali and Akhalgori districts will be designed and developed.
Regular co-operation will also be provided with civil society representatives, including a specifically established Advisory Board of Experts.
In the framework of the strategic vision of the state policy on civic equality and integration, special attention will be paid to: raising the level of knowledge of the state language - our task should be that 99% of graduates of non-Georgian language schools know the state language within the next 10 years. Access to quality education, full engagement in all spheres of public life and the boosted intercultural dialogue are of paramount importance.
As for the tasks and plans of our Ministry of Foreign Affairs, let us remind you that in 2024 we are going to formally apply for EU membership and for this we need to complete the legislative harmonization with the EU; Find new export markets; Strengthen strategic partnerships with the United States, including strengthened trade and economic cooperation. Our goal should be to attract large American investments, implement joint projects and conclude a free trade agreement with the United States.
This is a very brief outline of our country's long-term development plan. We will start showcasing presentations developed by each cabinet ministry from July. Everyone - Parliament, experts, invited specialists, donors - will have an opportunity to get involved in this process. This process will be as open and transparent as possible. Our task is to complete, present and start the mentioned plan by the end of September and to start maximum control and monitoring of its implementation.
Our task should be to increase GDP per capita to 10 000 USD over the next ten years. The unemployment rate should drop to 9%, according to our minimal plan.
A strong Georgia should be a common home for Georgians, Abkhazians, Ossetians, all the people living on this land and all the guests, which should be built with joint efforts of all of us and we should achieve this result. We have the talent and the potential to do that. We must turn Georgia into a country that our ancestors have aspired to for centuries. To do this, we need political peace, stability in the country and long-term development, in order for our country to get established as a decent place, as one of the most ancient and unique cultural nations and strong states.
Once again, thank you for your attention!