The Ministry of Infrastructure’s plan to create a state laboratory for quality control of construction materials and infrastructure projects carries significant risks, according to Tite Jishiashvili, director of Caucasian Infrastructure Technology Georgia (CIT Georgia). Speaking on TV-Program “Business Course,” he highlighted concerns about competition, conflict of interest, and high costs.
Jishiashvili noted that a state-run laboratory would compete directly with existing private laboratories, potentially forcing many to close. He also warned that combining the roles of project customer and quality inspector within the same state agency could compromise impartiality, leading to mistakes, flawed conclusions, and misallocation of responsibilities.
From a financial perspective, Jishiashvili emphasized that creating a multifunctional laboratory would require tens of millions of GEL, far beyond the one to five million GEL budget often cited. He stressed that such an initiative carries inherent operational and systemic risks, citing global examples where state-run labs produced incorrect results.
CIT Georgia recommends a different approach: the Ministry of Infrastructure should act as a customer of laboratory research rather than controlling quality directly. This model, Jishiashvili argued, would ensure impartial oversight and preserve the role of private laboratories in the market.
