First Deputy Finance Minister Giorgi Kakauridze announced that Georgia’s Ministry of Infrastructure is lagging behind its planned budget utilization for 2025, primarily due to delays in launching several major projects. Kakauridze spoke during a parliamentary committee hearing on the nine-month state budget performance report.
Responding to a question from Shota Berekaashvili, Chair of the Economic Policy Committee, Kakauridze explained that most of the unspent funds are linked to projects that have been slow to start.
The ministry’s annual budget stands at 3 billion GEL, with 1.93 billion GEL planned for use in the first nine months. However, actual spending reached only 1.76 billion GEL, leaving a gap of 168 million GEL.
The lowest spending rates are linked to projects where tender processes have been delayed, specifically the construction of the new Tbilisi–Red Bridge and Tbilisi–Sadakhlo highways, financed by a 250-million-euro loan from the European Investment Bank (EIB). Though tenders were announced last year and 190 million GEL had been planned for spending in 2025, the process remains incomplete. As a result, total expenditures for these two road projects over the first nine months reached just 4 million GEL.
“This year, the ministry had a number of new programs scheduled to begin, including sports infrastructure projects. In some cases, tenders have been announced, while in others preparations for project initiation are still underway,” Kakauridze said. “The tender for the Tbilisi–Rustavi road construction has already been issued. We expect higher spending in the fourth quarter and some funds may be reallocated to ongoing projects to ensure better budget absorption.”
