Georgian PM: Bidzina Ivanishvili’s advice crucial in fight against corruption - we aim to prevent corruption, not just investigate past crimes

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze on Thursday announced that numerous personnel changes had been implemented across various levels of government since he took office in February, citing the need to mitigate corruption risks.

Speaking to journalists, Kobakhidze emphasised that combating corruption was going far beyond simply prosecuting individuals.

“Since February, when I took office, numerous personnel changes have been carried out in sensitive sectors. There have been changes not only at the ministerial level but also among deputy ministers and lower-level positions. These adjustments, made across various levels, are part of a broader effort to safeguard against corruption risks”, the PM said.

“In addition to these changes, I want to remind everyone that since February 8, all government decisions and legal acts have been fully transparent and public. This is another important safeguard in the fight against corruption. We have also completely ended the practice of direct sales - another anti-corruption measure. Furthermore, through optimisation of both staffing and expenses, especially in state-owned enterprises such as railways and energy, we have achieved annual savings of ₾700 million”, he noted.

Kobakhidze further added that the Georgian Government was following the “very important statement” made by the former Prime Minister and founder of the ruling party Bidzina Ivanishvili two years ago regarding the anti-corruption drive.

“We are not only fighting corruption in every direction, but also taking preventive measures. This includes staffing and other measures to ensure that not only past misconduct is investigated, but also that corruption crimes do not occur today or in the future. We are doing everything necessary to achieve this. For us, Bidzina Ivanishvili’s recommendations on anti-corruption remain extremely valuable, and we will welcome further guidance in this area. We aim to ensure that corruption does not exist within government structures and systems. Transparency, concrete personnel decisions, and reforms - both in state-owned enterprises and within ministries - all contribute to this goal. Ultimately, our ambition is to rank Georgia among the top three European countries with the lowest corruption levels. This is a promise we make to the Georgian people, and we will pursue it to the very end”, he concluded.