More than 2 million spent to decorate the Presidential Palace

2 800 000 GEL was allocated from the Reserve Fund for procurement of antique and modern furniture, lighting fixtures and interior accessories selected by the Administration of the President of Georgia. 2 174 783 GEL was spent in total, out of which 1 999 558 GEL was spent for antique furniture and interior design. Institute for the Development of Freedom of Information published special findings on this information.

According to IDFI's research, furnishing high-quality antique items to the President's residence with budget funds cannot be considered as an optimal solution for preserving cultural values for the public and future generations and for the administration of the President.

The organization also finds spending money on expensive furniture problematic, because the main reason for reserve fund’s existence is to meet unforeseen needs.

The study also said that the purchase of expensive chandeliers and other antique items cast doubt on the Georgian authorities' claims that the President's residence would be changed due to budgetary savings.

According to the Administration of the President of Georgia, the decision to assemble the residence with antique items served to preserve cultural values ??for the society and future generations. Also, according to the President's advisor, the purchase of used and antique furniture in Georgia was cheaper than purchasing modern-style factory furniture.

IDFI calls on the State Audit Office to study in detail the purpose and cost-effectiveness of the allocation of funds from the Reserve Fund to the President's residence.

As the study reads, the analysis was prepared by the Institute for Development of Freedom of Information (IDFI), with the financial support of the global charity Luminate. IDFI is responsible for its content and the views expressed in this study may not reflect the position of Luminate.

Soon after the presidential elections, Salome Zourabichvili announced that she would relocate the presidential residence from the Presidential Palace in Tbilisi's Avlabari district to an alternative location on Atoneli Street. This was even included in her electoral program.

As Zourabichvili said before, Orbeliani Palace which is located on Atoneli Street, is more ‘European style’ and appropriate for the presidential palace.

Before Zourbaichvili became president, government leaders expected from former president Giorgi Margvelashvili to move to the Orbeliani Palace, it was even renovated back in 2013 and about 25 million GEL was spent for it. It became a reason of controversy, as Margvelashvili decided that he would stay at the Avlabari presidential palace.

The Institute for Development of Freedom of Information (IDFI) is a Georgian non-governmental organization founded in 2009 by two historians/researchers Levan Avalishvili and Giorgi Kldiashvili.