MPs Start Discussion of Gov’t Structural Changes

Parliamentary committees launched on June 28 discussing structural changes of the government, which will be followed with its approval by the parliament session expected this week.

Apart of the proposed changes, which were presented last week, it emerged on Monday that the government is also proposing to rename the Ministry for Refugees and Accommodation and through including in its name “occupied territories”.

“As 20% of country’s territory is occupied by Russia and as the Georgian government tries to establish this term internationally, we deemed it reasonable to emphasize this priority in the name of the ministry and to rename it as the Ministry for Refugees, Displaced Persons from Occupied Territory and Accommodation. It means that the ministry’s priority will be protection of rights of persons displaced from the occupied territories,” Gia Khuroshvili, the government’s parliamentary secretary, said on June 28.

The proposed structural change involves separation of the United Transport Administration from the Ministry for Regional Development and Infrastructure and its merger with the Ministry of Economy. The latter will also be renamed into Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development, according to the government’s proposal.

In another change, a department for youth and sports affairs will be separated from the Ministry for Culture, Sports and Monument Protection and will be established as a separate ministry. Governor of Shida Kartli region, Lado Vardzelashvili, will lead the new ministry.

The proposed structural changes will also require amendments to the 2010 state budget. Officials said that amendments would be of “technical nature”, originating from creation of new ministry and relocation of transport department from subordination of one ministry to another.

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