Georgian ministries of culture, education separated again
The Parliament of Georgia adopted the amendments to the Law on Structure, Powers and Rules of Procedure of the government of Georgia unanimously by 79 votes today and approved the division of the ministries in the third reading. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge.
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The Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports of Georgia has again been divided into two government agencies - the Ministry of Education and Science and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth, as it was before former Prime Minister Mamuka Bakhtadze merged the ministries in 2018.
In total the 14 ministries were reduced to 10 ministries and one state minister office in 2018 to decrease administrative costs in the state bureaucracy.
The Parliament of Georgia adopted the amendments to the Law on Structure, Powers and Rules of Procedure of the government of Georgia unanimously by 79 votes today and approved the division of the ministries in the third reading.
In addition, at today's plenary session, the initiative to create a new parliamentary committee - the Committee on Culture - was discussed in the third reading.
Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia has stated that all technical work has been completed to separate the Ministries of Education and Culture.
The Ministry of Culture of Georgia will again become a separate body and it will be detached from the current Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports of Georgia, Deputy Head of Parliament’s Education Committee Nukri Kantaria says. Kantaria told IPN earlier today the decision to merge the ministries of education and culture back in 2018 under Mamuka Bakhtadze’s premiership was “a mistake.”
A Ministry of Culture, independent of the current Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport, may be formed starting in 2020. The ruling party legislator Nukri Kantaria told InterPressNews agency that the changes are expected in coming months, supposedly in January.
The 14, currently existing ministries will be reduced to 11: 10 ministries and 1 state minister office. Prime Minister of Georgia Mamuka Bakhtadze has announced changes planned for the cabinet as part of his plan to reduce administrative costs in the state bureaucracy.
Georgia's former justice minister Thea Tsulukiani has been appointed Minister of Culture, Sport and Youth and will lead the reorganised state body after its separation from the Ministry of Education and Science.
Georgia's newly appointed Minister of Culture, Sport and Youth Thea Tsulukiani has said the institution will look to support production of culture projects promoting "love for homeland and freedom" in young generations.
A new study by the Institute for Development of Freedom of Information, a Georgian-based non-governmental organisation, shows “weakened ability” of non-governmental groups to monitor finances and corruption risks at the country’s sports federations under Sport Minister Thea Tsulukiani, the IDFI said on Friday.