President Mikheil Saakashvili said at a news conference on September 9 that the government follows an action for development since the very first day it took office. He saida three-stage plan envisageas reform of public sector, development of infrastructure and boosting economy.
?We are following a plan. In the first period of my presidency reform of the state structures and apparatus topped the agenda, including in the army, prosecutor?s office, police, the state chancellery, tax department, [reforms in this latter] enabled us to boost revenues,? Saakashvili said.
?The next stage [of the plan] is the development of infrastructure: I mean roads and the energy sector. And we are already working on these issues.?
Saakashvili said reconstruction of all major roads both in the capital Tbilisi and in the provinces is underway. ?In Tbilisi this problem will be almost entirely solved by the next year,? he said.
?in 2007 we will be able to start reconstruct of Tbilisi-Gori [town in central part of Georgia, about 80 km away from Tbilisi] highway, which will be completed in two years,? Saakashvili added.
Saakashvili stressed that overcoming energy problems is another part of infrastructural development .
?This winter will be the first one when Georgia will have no deficit [in electricity supply]. 600-700 megawatts…will be supplied by the local sources through the gas turbines, as well as imported from the new suppliers,? Saakashvili said.
?These are two major breakthroughs for Georgia ? roads and energy,? he added.
The President said that the third stage priority will be to boost the economy. He said that development of infrastructure will enable to create ?hundreds of thousands of new jobs.? ?But in this process we need the help from the business sector as well,? Saakashvili stated.
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