Georgia’s government is preparing legislative amendments that would allow deputy ministers, regional governors’ deputies, and deputy mayors to receive salary bonuses and cash rewards. The draft proposes changes to the Law on Remuneration in Public Institutions, aiming to place deputies “on equal footing with other employees” and offer additional financial incentives.
Under current rules, bonuses and rewards are restricted for ministers, state representatives, mayors, and their deputies. The government argues that while restrictions help prevent conflicts of interest for top officials, similar risks are minimal for deputies, since their decisions remain under the control of senior leadership.
If adopted, the changes will allow bonuses for:
- Deputy members of the Georgian Government
- Deputies of the governments of Abkhazia and Adjara
- Deputies of State Representatives (Governors)
- Deputy Mayors
Bonuses and rewards would be issued by a superior official, within legal limits and available budget funds. A single bonus cannot exceed one month’s salary, annual bonuses cannot surpass 20% of yearly pay, and cash rewards will be capped at 10% of annual salary.
The draft also proposes increasing the cap on employees hired through administrative contracts in public institutions from 10% to 15% of total staff, except in municipal bodies, where the limit remains 10%. The government says this is linked to earlier reforms that expanded the category of contract-based managerial staff.
The explanatory note states that no additional costs are expected for the current budget, though future years may see higher spending and more contract-based employees.
As of 2026, a deputy minister’s annual salary will reach 139,200 GEL, up 12,180 GEL from 2025. Since salaries of senior officials are tied to the public service base salary—set to rise from 1,460 GEL in 2025 to 1,600 GEL in 2026—remuneration will continue to increase. The new initiative would add the ability for certain officials to receive bonuses on top of these pay raises.
