Parliament has approved, in an accelerated first reading, amendments to the Law of Georgia on Combating Corruption, with 80 MPs voting in favor. The legislative package was introduced by Grigol Giorgadze, Deputy Minister of Defense from the ruling party.
Giorgadze stated that the purpose of the proposal is to clarify rules surrounding outside activities within the Ministry of Defense, reflecting the specific functions and professional fields of the institution. The draft outlines circumstances under which certain Defense personnel may engage in paid work without violating anti-corruption standards.
Under the amendments, individuals serving in the reserve of the Defense Forces would be permitted to take on compensated work. In addition, selected categories of Ministry of Defense employees would be allowed to perform paid activities in sectors such as medical services, information technology and aviation.
The proposal also defines when unpaid roles are permitted. Ministry employees may serve, without remuneration, as an authorized manager or representative of a non-entrepreneurial legal entity, enterprise or subsidiary transferred to the Ministry’s management, as well as entities operating as public legal bodies within the Ministry’s system. Such involvement would require a one-time written authorization from the head of the relevant institution, valid for up to one year.
The legislative package now moves forward for further parliamentary review under the accelerated procedure.
