TBILISI, November 11 – Georgia’s government announced plans on Tuesday to reform how it buys goods and services, in what officials call a major step toward increasing transparency and limiting corruption risks in public spending, BM reports.
The reform centers on a new electronic system for “market research,” the stage where government agencies estimate the price of a product or service before launching a purchase. Under current rules, that stage happens behind closed doors: officials privately contact a few suppliers to ask for quotes, and the selection of which companies to consult is entirely at the agency’s discretion.
From next year, that practice is set to change. The new digital platform will make every step of the price-checking process visible online. All registered suppliers will be able to see when a government body starts looking for offers and can submit their prices electronically.
“This new system will make the entire process fully transparent,” said parliamentary secretary to the government Vakhtang Bachiashvili. He explained that agencies will no longer be able to handpick companies for simplified purchases. Instead, notices will go to every registered supplier, reducing the space for informal arrangements and favoritism.
Crucially, procurement officials will not be able to see suppliers’ bids until the research period ends, ensuring fair pricing and open competition.
The reform is part of a broader government effort to tighten control over so-called simplified procurements, smaller, non-tender purchases that have long been criticized by watchdogs for being prone to abuse. According to government figures, such purchases accounted for about 1.18 billion lari in 2024, roughly 14.5% of all public procurement that year.
Many of those simplified contracts were justified as “urgent” or “necessary,” but anti-corruption organizations have repeatedly warned that the system allowed officials to avoid competitive bidding altogether.
Under the new model, agencies will be required to conduct and document open market research before making any simplified purchase. The change, which becomes mandatory on January 1, 2026, will also allow the government to better monitor pricing and prevent inflated contract values.
