Finance Minister Ivane Matchavariani resigns
By Khatia Bzhalava
Thursday, April 1
Ivane Matchavariani, after serving as the Finance Minister of Georgia for almost three years, has announced his resignation. Matchavariani published a statement on social media noting that he was planning to resign at the end of the last year, however, he postponed his plans for several months due to the 2021 crisis budget approval procedure and important negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Matchavariani has not specified the reasons for the resignation.
It was a great honor and at the same time a huge responsibility for me to work with the political team of Georgian Dream, alongside government leaders, my colleagues in the Cabinet of Ministers, and MPs, said Matchavariani in his Facebook post.
According to him, negotiations had been completed with the International Monetary Fund over the program on the Expanded Finance Mechanism. He added that once the program is approved by the fund, Georgia will receive additional financial resources.
Matchavariani stressed that Georgia is one of the first countries to have received significant support from partners, such as the World Bank, International Monetary Fund, and EU, shortly after the global pandemic started. I am especially proud that I had the opportunity to be actively engaged in the negotiations, he said.
Matchavariani wished success to the Prime Minister and the political union Georgian Dream in solving all the challenges facing the country. He also thanked the heads of international financial institutions, donor organizations, their regional offices, and the diplomatic corps operating in Georgia, and stressed that their support has been crucial for Georgia during the pandemic.
Ivane Matchavariani was appointed as the Finance Minister on July 12, 2018. He also held the post of Deputy PM under Prime Minister Garibashvili.
