TBILISI, September 16 – Georgia’s ruling party has unveiled new legislation that would tighten the country’s anti-corruption law by tracking convicted officials’ assets for three decades.
Under the proposal, any public servant, political officeholder, or employee of state agencies and enterprises found guilty of financial or official misconduct would be required to submit annual asset declarations to the Anti-Corruption Bureau for 30 years after conviction, BPN reports.
Irakli Kirkchalia, leader of the Georgian Dream parliamentary majority, announced the plan at a press briefing in parliament. He said the change would ensure long-term oversight and prevent illicit wealth from being laundered or reintroduced into personal use even after offenders serve their sentences.
“From the first day our team came to power, fighting corruption has been a top priority,” Kirkchalia said. He argued that Georgia is already a regional leader in anti-corruption reforms, citing international rankings, but added that the government aims to push further until the country ranks among the world’s top three nations with the lowest levels of corruption.
The ruling party says the initiative reflects Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze’s declared course of “uncompromising struggle” against corruption. Kirkchalia noted that the State Security Service has played a key role in exposing high-level misconduct, including what the government calls “elite corruption,” and that tougher laws are a natural extension of this policy.
The measure would send a strong warning, he added, to anyone considering entering corrupt deals for long-term personal gain. “After the change, active monitoring of convicted individuals’ assets will make it impossible for misappropriated property to be legalized or used for private interests, even after serving their sentences,” Kirkchalia said.
Georgia, a country of 3.7 million people, has been praised by international watchdogs in past years for improving its anti-corruption record, though critics argue that selective enforcement remains a problem.
