New Taxes, Health ‘Ministers’ Appointed in Abkhazia

Kremlin-backed Abkhaz leader Aslan Bzhania appointed yesterday Eduard Butba, 46, as the new “minister” of health, replacing Tamaz Tsakhnakia who served the post since 2017. Also on May 11, Bzhania appointed Jansukh Nanba, 37, to the vacant post of taxes and fees “minister.”

The replacement at the occupied region’s health ministry came just as Russian-made Sputnik V jabs are to be rolled out on May 12 in Abkhazia, following the Sokhumi’s prolonged struggle with the pandemic. After the dismissal, Tsakhnakia was awarded an order for “his services” to the health sector and the fight against the coronavirus. The new appointee, Eduard Butba, previously worked in the private sector, as reported by Apsnypress.

Meanwhile, the position of the taxes and fees minister had remained vacant since Daur Kurmazia resigned in February 2021, with his deputy Merab Logua acting in his stead afterward. The Kremlin-backed leader reportedly offered the job to customs service chief Guram Inapshba, who refused. Prior to his appointment, Nanba served as the deputy head of Bzhania’s administration, since May 2020.

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