President Saakashvili linked recent reshuffle in the Finance Ministry’s Revenue Service to the government’s “new approach” to have “maximally fair” treatment of taxpayers.

It was reported on March 7, that head of the Revenue Service, Giorgi Tskhakaia, who at the same time served as Deputy Finance Minister, was replaced. Deputy Justice Minister Jaba Ebanoidze will reportedly replace Tskhakaia, who will become deputy mayor of the capital city Tbilisi.

“The situation is good in terms of taxes. Now, certain changes are taking place in the leadership of the tax service. It was developing well, but we should have a new system in our approach; new leadership is coming [in the Revenue Service], which was instructed to be maximally fair and not to overreact; it is very important that people should have no sense of injustice or sense of extra press,” President Saakashvili said on March 7 during a televised meeting with a group of pensioners in the town of Rustavi.

“It is important that everybody pays taxes… there should be no backdoor dealings behind the state budget; this is a painful process, but just because this is a painful process, we should not exceed even by a gram in severity [while enforcing] laws,” he said.

“The state apparatus should not feel that because we are honest and because we do not take bribes and because we are strong, we can oppress citizens or treat them negligently. This is the greatest threat after corruption and we will eradicate that too,” Saakashvili added.