Ministry of Finance presents annual report
By Tatia Megeneishvili
Monday, December 23
Minister of Finance Nodar Khaduri said that 2014 will be a better year than 2013, while presenting the annual report of the Ministry at the Holliday Inn Hotel on December 21.
Khaduri spoke about the financial, budgetary and tax fields, relations with donor agencies, debt management and the measures of economic crime investigation implemented during the current year. The minister stressed the importance of the 2013 state budget-funded priority areas and focused on the key priorities for the 2014 budget.
The minister said that infrastructure, agriculture and education remain the priorities for the budget of 2014.
According to the minister, pensions and allowances will increase in spring/autumn. Assistance for IDPs will also increase. From January 2013 allowances for families of those who have died in military operations will be distributed. This amount of money will reach GEL 500.
“The volume of the investments must improve, as well as the number of employed people. I think the state budget and the Finance Ministry's agencies will do their best to respond to these challenges with real action,” Khaduri said.
Resident Representative of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in Georgia, Azim Sadikov, said the meeting was very interesting. He said a lot of new initiatives have been introduced by the new reforms.
“Today once again we were given the opportunity to find out what was going on and what will be happening in the Ministry of Finance over the next year,” Sadikov said, stressing that the IMF will continue to closely collaborate with the Ministry of Finance.
The Minister of Energy Kakha Kaladze said after the presidential elections the business has become more active. He said political stability is important for business. “I am confident that the Georgian government will do everything possible to ensure that the country can create more jobs and employ more people,” Kaladze stressed.
Member of the Advisory Board of the Mister of Finance and expert Alexander Tvalchrelidze, appreciated the report of the Ministry of Finance. “I think that next year's budget will reflect the reality. I believe that 2014 will be a year of laying the foundation for economic revival,” Tvalchrelidze said.
President of the Georgian Banking Association, Zurab Gvasalia, stressed that the report was impressive. Gvasalia hoped that cooperation with the banking sector will continue in the next year, and it will bring tangible benefits for the country's economy.
