PM Kobakhidze: Gov’t follows Ivanishvili’s guidance in anti-corruption drive

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze on Thursday said that since taking office in February, his government had carried out “extensive personnel and structural changes” to reduce corruption risks, and that the administration was following the guidance of former Prime Minister and Georgian Dream honorary chair Bidzina Ivanishvili.

Kobakhidze said the fight against corruption was not limited to investigating past wrongdoing or making arrests, but included preventive measures and systemic reforms across ministries and state institutions.

Since February, he noted, numerous personnel changes had been implemented in vulnerable sectors, including ministers, deputy ministers, and lower-level officials, aimed at mitigating corruption risks. In addition, all government decisions and legal acts have been fully open and public since 8 February, enhancing transparency and accountability.

The Prime Minister also said the government had ended direct procurement practices and achieved annual savings of around 700 million GEL in state-owned enterprises, including railways and energy companies, through both personnel and expenditure optimisation.

Kobakhidze stressed that the administration was focused on preventing corruption in the present and future. “We are not only investigating possible past violations but ensuring that corruption does not occur today or tomorrow. Bidzina Ivanishvili’s advice in this field is extremely valuable,” he said.

He added that the measures, together with ongoing reforms and targeted personnel decisions, aimed to place Georgia among the top three European countries in terms of low corruption, describing it as an ambitious goal the government was committed to achieving.