Voucher system criticized

In 2011, the Georgian government distributed a series of vouchers to offset price increases in food, energy, transportation, and agriculture. In January, the trend continued, with a 20 GEL electricity offset sent to every Georgian family.

Critics refer to these voucher programs as government PR stunts, and call the economic effect of such a program negligible, wasteful, and potentially harmful, as it may increase inflation.

Opposition parties believe that the voucher system reveals a lack of policy direction on poverty, on the part of the administration. As opposition representatives note, the vouchers are rarely targeted towards vulnerable groups, and so do not tangibly improve lives.