Levan Mebonia, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the state-owned Enguri Hydropower Plant, has confirmed that a reorganization is underway at the company. However, he has not disclosed the scale of planned staff reductions or explained how the state intends to support employees who may lose their jobs, many of whom live in the Russian-occupied territory of Abkhazia.
Sources employed at Enguri HPP told BM.GE that the company, fully owned by the Ministry of Economy, plans to dismiss between 400 and 500 workers. According to them, employees are being pressured to resign voluntarily by the end of April without compensation. One local employee said that the issue cannot be viewed merely through an administrative or financial lens: “Given the geopolitical context, a mass dismissal will have national implications… This decision will directly accelerate the depopulation of villages, specifically the departure of ethnic Georgians.” Of the roughly 1,100 people employed at Enguri HPP, 70–80% reportedly reside in Abkhazia’s territory under Georgian control.
The Ministry of Economy is overseeing the optimization process, which Mebonia has been appointed to lead. According to the company, restructuring began in the summer of 2025 as part of a broader optimization and reform effort within Georgia’s energy sector. The official stated goal is to create “renewed, dignified employment opportunities” within a modernized structure and ensure that human resources are “allocated to the right positions” for improved management.
“Operational and staffing outcomes will be made public once the process is complete,” Enguri HPP said in its official response. Meanwhile, BM.GE has also submitted questions to the Ministry of Economy regarding the ongoing reorganization, but no answers have been provided so far.
