Changes to the Georgian budget
By Tatia Megeneishvili
Friday, October 4
Georgia's state budget in 2014 will be approximately 9.9 billion GEL. Social problems, healthcare and agriculture remain priorities. The Chairperson of the Parliamentary Finance and Budget Committee, David Onoprishvili, said the budget has grown by 260 million GEL this year.
"The main priority is to improve the population's standard of living. The universal insurance system will begin operation and financing for this will increase." Onoprishvili stressed.
360 million GEL is earmarked for social programs, while approximately 95 million GEL will be allotted to agriculture and education.
Tbilisi Mayor Gigi Ugulava said at a special session on Wednesday evening that according to the preliminary budget, Tbilisi’s budget will be reduced by 50 million GEL while the remaining 69 municipal governments' budgets will increase.
According to Ugulava, Tbilisi needs at least the same amount of money as previous years to pay for various infrastructural and social programs. According to Ugulava, the number of socially vulnerable people in Tbilisi has increased in the last year.
Ugulava said there is a large chance that Tbilisi will fail to host the Youth Olympics as at least 36 million GEL is needed to pay for infrastructure for the games.
The Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs has replied to Ugulava’s claims about the Youth Olympics. Deputy Minister Akaki Lodia said there is enough money in the budget to pay for the Youth Olympics' infrastructure.
Georgian Dream supports decreasing municipal government budgets. They think that misuse of funds had taken place in previous years.
According to the Ministry of Finance there is enough money in the budget to cover all expenses, including the building of new kindergartens.
