Paata Tsagareishvili, director of the Transport Corridor Research Center, has criticized the government’s planned $7 billion investment in logistics, calling the figure “amorphous.” He said experts have not been presented with a detailed breakdown of the amount or the specific projects it will finance.
Tsagareishvili said only limited figures are publicly known, including $1.7 billion planned for rolling stock and locomotives and GEL 1 billion in railway investment for 2026-2028. He also questioned claims that transit flows through the Middle Corridor have increased sevenfold, saying such growth may apply to specific segments rather than Georgia’s overall transit volumes.
He warned that investment effectiveness is being undermined by slow project implementation and bureaucracy. Railway tenders can take months, while the completion deadline for the East-West Highway has been pushed back to 2032. He said delays could weaken Georgia’s position as regional competitors accelerate their own corridor projects.
The government says it plans to mobilize $7 billion by 2032 to make the Middle Corridor faster, safer and more predictable. The plan includes doubling railway and port capacity, halving cargo transit times and tripling international airport capacity. Tsagareishvili, however, argues that detailed calculations and faster implementation are essential if Georgia is to remain competitive.
