Infrastructure Minister says minimising corruption risks in infrastructure projects is ministry’s top priority

Regional Development and Infrastructure Minister Revaz Sokhadze on Saturday said that minimising corruption risks in infrastructure projects was the ministry’s top priority, stressing that every tetri of public money must be spent properly and for its intended purpose.

In his interview with Imedi TV, the Minister noted that every infrastructure project implemented by the state represented a step towards strengthening the country’s independence.

“It is very unfortunate that some members of the public have come to believe that someone is stealing money during the implementation of infrastructure projects. This is categorically unacceptable to us. Our number one priority is to minimise any corruption risks in this system. Our goal is to ensure that every tetri is spent properly and for its intended purpose”, Sokhadze said.

“The more we strengthen our infrastructure, the further we will progress. Every infrastructure project creates greater potential for economic growth, while economic strength means further strengthening our country and its independence”, he continued.

Sokhadze added that he had encountered a range of problems after taking office at the ministry.

“I visited one of the sites where a school was being built, and the quality was unsatisfactory. When I asked the contractor why the quality was so poor, he looked at me in surprise and replied that he was building to the standard that matched the price at which he had won the tender. This simple answer reveals a number of problems. First, the pricing was wrong. Second, both the client and the contractors knew that there would be no adequate quality requirements. It was as if there had been an informal verbal agreement. This is, of course, a very serious problem”, he concluded.