The establishment of Georgia's new state-owned road maintenance company is progressing, with legal procedures currently underway, Infrastructure Minister Revaz Sokhadze told BM.ge.
According to the minister, the company will initially be responsible for maintaining a 100-kilometer section of road, with no expansion of its mandate at this stage. "Nothing has been expanded yet. We are starting with 100 kilometers. The process is moving forward actively, and once the legal issues are finalized, we will provide more details," Sokhadze said.
Responding to questions about the impact on private contractors, the minister said the government's goal is to make the road maintenance sector more attractive for private investment by creating a more predictable operating environment. He noted that the sector requires significant capital investment and that the new system is intended to provide greater certainty for companies.
Parliament approved amendments to the Law on Roads on June 25, allowing the government to transfer maintenance responsibilities for international and domestic roads to a state-owned company under the Infrastructure Ministry. The new company will initially service the 105-kilometer Gori-Argveta highway, with an estimated initial investment of GEL 63 million. Until now, road maintenance has been carried out by private contractors through public tenders.
