Targamadze Criticizes Draft Budget

The opposition Christian-Democrats have expressed their protest against the draft budget for 2012. According to the leader of the parliamentary minority party, Giorgi Targamadze, similar to the budget of preceding years, the proposed draft budget is an eclectic document and does not address the challenges that the country faces.

The MP believes that changed classifications in the new budget complicate comparisons with the past. It is incomprehensible for the Targamadze how the budget will influence employment and to what extent it will reduce unemployment, which is the main problem in the country.

Targamadze thinks that in the draft budget the system of indicators for achieving the main objectives should be well-defined. "The goal of a submitted draft budget is the outlining of the economy’s real priorities and achieving high standards of economic growth and employment” Giorgi Targamadze noted. According to him, the budget aims at distribution of already existing financial resources with less obstacles and cannot guarantee social protections, education and basic healthcare conditions.

Giorgi Targamadze outlined a few parameters in the draft budget for comparison. According to him, a GEL 74 million increase is envisaged for road infrastructure, with GEL 30 million increase for the Ministry of Defense, GEL 18 million for the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and GEL 143 million for general purposes and civil service, while the funding of the Ministry of Agriculture will be reduced by GEL 10 million. Targamadze thinks that a 1.75% price increase will not compensate the financing of the Ministry of Health even partially.

Targamadze thinks that the government should withdraw this draft budget and revise it fundamentally. "The government should use its current limited resources in the most efficient way, in order to turn it into a budget of economic development and ensure the dignified funding of social programs” Targamadze stated.