Papuashvili: Parliament to pass bill merging infrastructure and regional development ministries next week

“Parliament will adopt a legislative package next week detailing the planned merger of the Ministry of Regional Development and the Ministry of Infrastructure,” Speaker of Parliament Shalva Papuashvili has announced.

According to Papuashvili, the initial bill submitted to Parliament was insufficient to accommodate the new initiative and required additional provisions.

“Therefore, the Government withdrew the original draft and will reintroduce a comprehensive package that fully reflects the necessary statutory amendments; it was essentially a technical matter. We will adopt this bill during the next sessional week, with the merger of the Ministry of Regional Development and the Ministry of Infrastructure proceeding as planned.

Regarding the proposed creation of a State Minister post, it was originally envisioned given Mamuka Mdinaradze’s political stature and experience, allowing the Prime Minister to have a Vice Prime Minister capable of coordinating complex matters with appropriate political clout. However, as Mamuka Mdinaradze has unfortunately decided to withdraw from politics, that proposal has been removed from the agenda. The Government will now handle both the implementation and coordination of these issues directly through the relevant ministry and the Prime Minister,” Shalva Papuashvili stated.