Transparency International Georgia reports that 29 out of 64 ministers and deputy ministers have business interests and have not completed asset declarations required by the law this year.
Most of the officials with business interests (22 out of 29) have violated the requirements of the law relating to the disclosure of commercial interest, reads the official statement of TI.
The law of Georgia on Conflict of Interest and Corruption in Public Institutions reads that public officials have a right to own a share in any company, but they should temporarily transfer that share to another person.
Also, they are prohibited from holding the position of head of any company.
The research of asset declarations revealed:
In its research TI explains that public officials are required to complete an asset declaration annually, including income of their family members as well.
‘An asset declaration is an important anti-corruption mechanism, though public officials with business interests don’t take seriously the issue’.
Later, Maia Tskitishvili said that she hadn’t read TI’s survey, adding that neither she, nor her husband have any business interests.
Other public officials have not made any public statement regarding the issue.