Nika Gilauri ნიკოლოზ გილაური |
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Prime Minister of Georgia | |
In office 6 February 2009 – 4 July 2012 |
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President | Mikheil Saakashvili |
Preceded by | Grigol Mgaloblishvili |
Succeeded by | Vano Merabishvili |
First Deputy Prime Minister of Georgia | |
In office December 2008 – 6 February 2009 |
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Prime Minister | Grigol Mgaloblishvili |
Preceded by | Position established |
Succeeded by | David Tkeshelashvili |
Minister of Finance | |
In office 7 September 2007 – 6 February 2009 |
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Prime Minister |
Zurab Noghaideli Lado Gurgenidze Grigol Mgaloblishvili |
Preceded by | Mamuka Nikolaishvili |
Succeeded by | Kakha Baindurashvili |
Minister of Energy | |
In office 17 February 2004 – 7 September 2007 |
|
Prime Minister |
Zurab Zhvania Zurab Noghaideli |
Preceded by | David Mirtskhulava |
Succeeded by | Alexander Khetaguri |
Personal details | |
Born |
Tbilisi, Soviet Union |
14 February 1975
Political party | Independent |
Alma mater |
Tbilisi State University University of Limerick Temple University |
Nika Gilauri (Georgian: ნიკოლოზ [ნიკა] გილაური, pronounced [nikʼa ɡilauri]; born 14 February 1975) is a Georgian politician who was Prime Minister of Georgia from 6 February 2009 to 30 June 2012. He had served as Minister for Energy (2004–2007) and Minister for Finance (2007–2009) and First Vice Prime Minister in the Cabinet of Georgia (2008–2009).
In 2012, he was appointed as the head of the JSC Partnership Fund, a state-owned stock fund. Currently Mr Gilauri set his advisory boutique for public sector decision makers. He is also a senior advisor at McKinsey and Co.
Nika Gilauri was born in 1975 in Tbilisi. He graduated from the University of Limerick (Ireland), with degree in Bachelor of Business Studies in Economics and Finance and later gained an MBA in International Business Management from Temple University, Philadelphia.
Before joining the government of Georgia Mr Gilauri worked as a financial controller at ESBI Georgia, which was a management contractor for Georgian State Electosystems and Iberdrola Georgia, which was management contractor for Electricity Systems Commercial Operator of Georgia.
Mr Gilauri joined the government of Georgia in 2004 as a Minister of Energy and spearheaded reforms in the energy sector, turning the country from blacked out state into the net electricity exporter, eradicating corruption, introducing new legislation, new market rules and new tariff methodologies. He also led energy sector negotiations with Gazprom, SOCAR, Inter RAO and other large energy companies resulting in Georgia becoming one of the most energy secured countries in the region.
As a Minister of Finance (2007 – 2009) Mr Gilauri undertook anticorruption reforms in customs services introducing innovative measures to improve services and eradicating any non-transparent actions. Also he led the new Tax Code reform simplifying the rules, minimizing any double interpretation possibilities, and creating a fair ground for entrepreneurs and investors, resulting in introducing of the new Tax Code in 2009. One of the most important moves as a Minister of Finance for Nika was reducing tax rate (income tax from 20% to 15%) in the beginning of 2009, in the midst of the world financial crises when everybody adopted austerity measures and advised to do the same to the government of Georgia. The move worked well for the country being the first to recover form recession reaching 6,4% growth rate in 2010.