PM encourages Ministers to be risk-takers

Georgia’s Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili is encouraging his Cabinet Ministers to be more "decisive, bold and risk-takers”, or they could be removed from their duties.

In an interview yesterday with Tbilisi-based Imedi TV channel, Garibahsvili did not rule out a future Government reshuffle. He said those ministers who were ejected Cabinet "were not as efficient as others” and it was necessary to replace them with "more motivated and energetic ones”.

In the recent Government reshuffle, the PM moved two Ministers to other Cabinet duties and sacked five ministers.

"I have been thinking about this decision for a long time,” he said in the interview.

"I have been closely observing the work of the Ministers, how independent they were and how efficient their work was.”

Garibashvili said very often the Ministers were dependent on the Prime Minister - and during the previous Government they were dependent on the President – and they waited for a green light from the PM even for "minor decisions” within their Ministries.

"I have always been reproving the Ministers over this issue and calling on them to make decisions promptly, to be bolder, and be risk-takers because our major goal and motivation is to do more for our people and our country. We have no time for thinking too much. I do not rule out that we may make mistakes, we all make mistakes, including myself, but what matters is that we are sincere and when a person has faith in what he’s doing and is confident that he’s doing a right thing for the country, these mistakes can be easily rectified,” Garibashvili said.

In the same interview, the PM expressed his satisfaction about the new management of the Chief Prosecutor’s Office.

"I want to praise the new team,” he said.

"They gave more chances to youngsters. A lot of interesting and talented staff members have come and this Agency is developing toward the right direction.”

The PM was asked whether the Prosecutor's Office would start a criminal persecution against ex-President Mikheil Saakashvili or not. Garibashvili said the Prosecutor's Office was an independent agency and he would not interfere in its working process.

"I have no right to give them instructions who to arrest and who not," the PM said.