Plan dropped to create State Minister for Regional Policy as ministry faces merger, following Mdinaradze’s exit
The Ministry of Regional Development and Infrastructure is set to undergo a structural merger, rendering the planned creation of a standalone State Minister post for Regional Policy redundant, the Speaker of the Parliament of Georgia, Shalva Papuashvili, informed journalists.
Papuashvili explained that the government will formally withdraw the legislative amendments introducing the new cabinet post. Instead, replacement legislation will be submitted for parliamentary consideration during the upcoming sitting week.
According to the Speaker, Mamuka Mdinaradze’s departure from politics has eliminated the need for the specialised post.
“Deliberations are underway, and the Ministry of Regional Development and Infrastructure will likely be merged. As noted at the outset, the Prime Minister assigned Mamuka Mdinaradze coordination responsibilities related to law-enforcement agencies based on his personal capacity. He discharged those duties exceptionally well, and that system is now robustly established. There was a desire to replicate that coordination model in regional policy. However, following Mamuka Mdinaradze’s decision to step down from political life, that requirement no longer stands.
This role was created specifically around Mamuka Mdinaradze’s capabilities. It demanded considerable political experience, a quality Mamuka Mdinaradze possessed to a distinct degree, as demonstrated by his track record overseeing law-enforcement bodies. Naturally, establishing this office was designed to capitalise on his experience, political weight, and expertise,” Papuashvili stated.
The announcement follows Mamuka Mdinaradze’s resignation as Minister of Regional Development and his formal exit from political life on 27 August.
The government administration had previously announced on 29 July that a new State Minister post for Regional Policy would be created in September to be headed by Mdinaradze, who had been serving as Minister of Regional Development ahead of the structural transition.