Irakli Kobakhidze, the Georgian Dream’s Chairperson and Prime Minister of Georgia, presented the party’s election program on October 7. The presentation was attended mainly by GD supporters and members, except for the Honorary Chair and founder of the party, Bidzina Ivanishvili and the Party Chairman Irakli Garibashvili who had approved the electoral program in advance.
Kobakhidze started by focusing on the economic promises. He said that by 2028, the party plans to increase country’s GDP from GEL 130 billion to GEL 35 billion, GDP per capita at GEL 36 000, state budget at GEL 40 billion and average salary GEL 3,500. Public servants salaries will also be increasing by 10% every year. He also shared plans for reducing the poverty threshold to just 4%, or about 150,000 people, and creating 200,000 new jobs by 2028.
The Prime Minister said that to achieve all of these, four main pillars would be maintained: effective policies in economics, business freedom, stability and peace, and effective management. He claimed that the management was already at the highest possible level. “If you concentrate on the intelligence of our Economic Group alone, it will surpass all opposition.”
He listed the following projects:
* Tbilisi – Batumi 4-lane highway will be opened in 2025
* Batumi – Sarpi highway project begins;
* The highways connecting Azerbaijan with Armenia will be completed;
* New highway bypassing Lagodekhi
* Tbilisi-Rustavi 4-lane highway;
* Anaklia to receive its first ships by 2029
Vaziani to get a new international airport
Kobakhidze stated that GEL 3 billion would be spent on agriculture over the next four-year period. He said that Georgia will be self-sufficient in energy by 2030. The plan is to have electricity production exceed 8000 megawatts by 2028, and 10,000 megawatts by 2030. In the area of education reform, he spoke about the need to increase the number of students at the Ivanishvili founded Kutaisi International University. He also promised to build an additional campus for the Tbilisi State University between Tbilisi Rustavi.
He promised GEL 30 millions for the development and improvement of arts and sport, and GEL 2 Billion for sports infrastructure. The main promise was the construction of a stadium that could hold 70,000 spectators for the Champion League matches. He promised that the new Republican Hospital would be built “for certain” and that its plan will be presented very shortly. Kobakhidze also pledged to increase pensions from 350-450 GEL to 350-450 GEL in the next year.
Georgian Dream, according to PM, plans to prioritise the development of national military industry in addition to improving the social support for the police and military. The key initiatives include upgrading the material base and upgrading the military infrastructure. They also include creating an “army town” that will house over 1,000 soldiers. The party aims to improve living conditions for police officers by providing apartments in newly constructed housing to more than 1,000 officers.
According to Kobakhidze’s Georgian Dream, the foreign policy priorities of the party include resetting the relations with the U.S., and the European Union. The focus is on European integration to make Georgia ready for EU membership as soon as possible by 2030. The party aims to fulfill 90% its obligations under the DCFTA and the Association Agreement by 2028. According to the PM, strengthening cooperation with NATO and establishing a strategic partnership between China and Canada are also important goals. The party also advocates a “pragmatic” policy towards Russia and a peaceful solution to the conflict.
* 07/10/2024 – GD Announces a New Round of Impeachment Against Zurabishvili
Read More @ civil.ge