Maia Bitadze, Chair of Parliament’s Environmental Protection and Natural Resources Committee, has been appointed Georgia’s new Minister of Culture. Her latest asset declaration provides details of her property, savings, income and financial obligations.
Bitadze owns two properties in Tbilisi’s Giorgi Chkondideli Street: a 134.5 sq. m apartment, purchased in December 2020 for $66,000, and a 21.8 sq. m garage, purchased in July 2024 for GEL 13,806.5. She also declared cash savings of GEL 40,000, €30,000 and $5,500.
Her Bank of Georgia accounts held €1,900.19 and GEL 38 in current accounts, while salary accounts contained GEL 3,796 and GEL 1,761.11. She also had deposits of $1.85 and €0.76. During the reporting year, Bitadze earned GEL 119,731.68 as a member of Parliament, GEL 25,794.67 and GEL 54.72 from Tbilisi State University as an associate professor, and €1,532.59 in research fees from the Central European Academy in Budapest.
Bitadze also has a mortgage from Bank of Georgia taken out in December 2020 to purchase the apartment. The original loan was GEL 200,000, while the outstanding principal stood at GEL 45,541.33 following a May 2024 amendment; annual loan servicing amounted to GEL 7,387.32. The Culture Ministry post had been vacant since Tinatin Rukhadze resigned on July 28, citing health reasons. Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze announced Bitadze’s appointment on September 14.
