The government of Georgia plans to restore the list of strategic objectives
By Tatia Megeneishvili
Wednesday, January 22
On January 20, Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili, said that it is in the state’s interest to define the list of strategic objectives.
“As you know, there is the notion that strategic objects don’t exist anymore. We have taken the initiative to renew the list, and the government will send the list to parliament for approval,” Gharibashvili stated.
Parliamentary secretary Shalva Tadumadze said after the session that in accordance with the law on state property, assets owned by the government will be on the list.
“This initiative doesn’t concern private legal entities, and the government uses a contract signed by private companies as part of relations with them. Every strategic asset on the government’s property will make it on the list, but a special working group will be created to identify these assets,” Tadumadze stressed.
According to the Minister of Economy Giorgi Kvirikashvili, Georgian Railway, the TV tower and other assets will be on the list. The criteria for selecting assets will be worked out on the basis of what possible threats Georgia faces.
“We think such a list should exist, and this is an international practice. In almost every country there are criteria for selling different assets under special control,” Kvirikashvili stated.
Member of Parliament, Zurab Tkhemaladze, explained that the strategic objects and the special rule for determining it, exists in the constitution. According to Tkemaladze, the approval of the list of strategic sites was the subject of debate with the government for 15 years.
"We will have to make it of strategic importance, the accounting and the particular rule. This is defined by the Constitution. Strategic objects on the list will be approved by us. For now, the Prime Minister has already said that the list should be done, so it will be," Tkhemaladze stressed.
According to the MP, it will be sufficient to determine the strategic objects on the list of the normative act of the legislature, and in this respect there is no need to initiate the project. For instance, the state property of the state law establishes the list of property to which indicated that their privatization is prohibited.
The list was abolished a few years ago by the National Movement government and defined assets like railways, dams and pipelines.
The National Movement government argued that private owners would take better care of the assets.
