The Georgian Dream government has decided to create a ‘Department of Government Efficiency’ to ostensibly oversee various branches of the executive power. The name of the planned agency mirrors that of a so-called department established by unelected tech billionaire Elon Musk during US President Donald Trump’s second term.
On Monday, Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze announced plans to expand the functions of the existing Internal Audit Service within the government administration. The new mandate will not only cover internal audits of the administration, but also oversee the ‘efficiency of the entire government’s activities’.
Another Georgian Dream leader, Mamuka Mdinaradze, stated that the department would monitor the ‘effectiveness of decision implementation’ across ministries and their subordinate agencies.
According to Mdinaradze, over the past year, the government has implemented ‘numerous reforms’ in the fight against corruption. However, he emphasised that ‘even stricter oversight is needed over the use of taxpayer funds, meaning budgetary expenditures’.
Government officials stated that the new department would coordinate with the State Audit Office, where a system of ‘real-time auditing’ would be introduced.
‘If audits previously focused on past years, now the State Audit Office will be able to assess ongoing projects’, added Levan Zhorzholiani, the head of the government administration.
Officials have not commented on the fact that the department’s name is identical to that of Musk’s controversial so-called department, DOGE, in the US. However, the anchor of the pro-government Rustavi 2 news programme introduced the decision to audience as follows:
‘Elon Musk in the United States; still an unknown figure in Georgia: The government is creating a Department of Government Efficiency to oversee all branches of the executive power’.
This is not the first time the Georgian Dream government has attempted — directly or indirectly — to adopt terminology and practices from the Trump administration.
Since December, Georgian Dream has increasingly used the term deep state — mirroring Trump’s rhetoric — to describe shadowy forces the ruling party claims are trying to drag Georgia into war and overthrow the government.
Georgian Dream drew inspiration from Trump once again when it initiated the bill to remove the word ‘gender’ from Georgian legislation.
The explanatory note of the now-passed bill about gender stated that the term is ‘recently created’ and that since Trump became president, there has been an increased discussion about the ‘dishonest motivations and manipulation behind this artificial process’.
The ruling party planned to initiate a corresponding bill regarding the creation of the new department. On Monday, Kobakhidze stated that this would happen ‘in the coming days’.
Mikheil Gvadzabia
