Anti-Corruption law changes aim to cut costs, prevent multiple public salaries, ruling party MP

The chair of Georgia’s Parliamentary Legal Affairs Committee, Archil Gordulazde, on Tuesday claimed proposed amendments to the country’s anti-corruption law were designed to reduce public spending and prevent cases where individuals receive “multiple salaries” from state institutions “without performing genuine work.”

Speaking on Rustavi 2, Gordulazde explained that the core legislation - the Law on Combating Corruption - has been in place since 1997, yet public service structures had evolved significantly since then. Current rules restrict public officials from receiving additional income beyond scientific, pedagogical or creative work, but employment classifications and loopholes had developed over time.

“We do not want a situation where one person is formally employed in three institutions, not actually working, but simply collecting salaries,” Gordulazde said. “We must fight corruption, be more cost-effective and reduce the burden on the state budget.”

Gordulazde stressed that the changes were also intended to open more positions for younger specialists and improve efficiency within government agencies.

He highlighted that some exceptions remained, particularly for professions with staff shortages such as IT specialists. He also clarified that restrictions did not apply to schoolteachers, noting that pedagogical activity was explicitly excluded under Article 13 of the current law - requiring only approval from the employing institution.

According to Gordulazde, the ultimate goal was for public servants to work in a single post with adequate pay, rather than holding multiple roles to supplement income. “One job with a higher salary should replace three jobs with low salaries,” he said.