The Budget and Finance Committee considered and supported, at first reading and under an accelerated procedure, amendments to the Waste Management Code.

According to the presenter, Deputy Minister of Environmental Protection and Agriculture Zurab Ezugbaia, the draft law regulates the status of hazardous waste landfills. He noted that the list of competencies of the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture is being expanded to include the establishment, management, and closure of hazardous waste landfills.

“Accordingly, as in the case of non-hazardous waste, the Solid Waste Management Company operating within the system of the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture will be the authorized entity responsible for exercising the Ministry’s competence and ensuring the establishment, management, and closure of hazardous waste landfills”, - the presenter stated.

Zurab Ezugbaia also explained that the draft law introduces a provision under which, in cases determined by the Government, the National Environment Agency operating within the Ministry’s system is granted the authority to extend the temporary storage period for hazardous waste once, for no more than one year. A government resolution may also define the possibility of extending the temporary storage period for a longer duration. He added that the legislative amendments also provide for the harmonization of the timelines of the National Waste Management Strategy and the National Action Plan.

In addition, the draft law includes a number of changes related to the definitions of administrative offenses and sanctions reflected in the Waste Management Code.

The Finance and Budget Committee also approved the decisions adopted on April 27 by the Standing Audit Group reviewing the reports of the State Audit Office. At its previous meeting, the Audit Group reviewed the compliance audit reports on the financial and economic activities of the Georgian Oil and Gas Corporation for 2022–2023 and of the LEPL Land Transport Agency for the period from January 1, 2022 to December 31, 2023.

A total of 11 recommendations were issued to the Georgian Oil and Gas Corporation, while 3 recommendations were issued to the Land Transport Agency.