“The development of water supply systems is the Government’s foremost priority, and the statistics bear this out. Funding in this area has increased twentyfold compared with 2012,” said Georgia’s Minister of Infrastructure, Revaz Sokhadze, speaking on the Business Partner programme on GPB First Channel.

The United Water Supply Company, he noted, operates across 49 towns and serves 950,000 beneficiaries. As of today, 31 towns already enjoy a continuous, standard-compliant water supply, and by 2028, every town in the country will be fully provided with a round-the-clock water supply.

The Minister paid particular attention to the challenges facing rural communities, announcing that a new programme has been launched with support from the state budget and the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

“Under this programme, more than 150,000 beneficiaries across over 100 villages nationwide will receive a continuous, standard-compliant water supply,” Sokhadze said.

The Minister also acknowledged existing shortcomings, identifying poor project design as one of the principal obstacles — a problem which, he noted, leads to delays in works. He offered his apologies to residents of those communities still experiencing disruption as a result of incomplete works, citing Bakuriani and Khashuri specifically, and assured the public that efforts to address these issues are actively underway.

The problem in the resort town of Bakuriani, Sokhadze stated, will be resolved this year.

Looking ahead, the Minister announced that, on the Prime Minister’s instruction, plans are in place over the coming years to install sewerage systems in every town and at 19 tourist sites across the country, at a combined estimated cost of approximately four billion lari.

“An investment of this scale will conclusively resolve the water supply and sewerage problem in Georgia once and for all,” the Minister said.