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Liar Primer-Minister

October 26, 2011

“Several thousand retired people will have a pension more than 100 GEL; the minimal limit of the pension will be 100 GEL,” Nika Gilauri lied.

Maka Malakmadze, Adjara

President of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili stated that 100 GEL will be starting pension for retired people in the country from September 15, 2011. However, the reform worked only for the retired people (retired because of age) and disabled people of the first group. Pensioners of other categories still receive previous amount of pensions. Consequently, this part of pensioners thinks that they were deceived and complain.

Irina Beridze, single mother of two underage children: “My children, 10 and 8, still receive previous amount of pension. I was very sorry about it. According to TV-advertisement, everybody should have their pensions increased so I was looking forward to October 5 to get increased pension but I got disappointed when I received the same 55 GEL for each child.”

Meriko Mamuladze, disabled person of the second group: “I expected to receive 100 GEL. They did not say in the advertisement that people like me would not have their pensions increased. Why did not our pensions increase while others had them increased?! Are not we pensioners too?!”

Disabled person of the second group Zaide Sh. did not wish to publish her surname: “TV-ads about increased pensions were permanently broadcasted on TV. Governmental officials were making statements about it. The president personally brought increased pension to one family. I do not request anybody to deliver my pensions at home, but if others had their pensions increased, why should not I have too?! Or, why did not they announce that the changes would not refer to us? Can you imagine what a noise started in the bank when pension was distributed? When people expect 100 GEL but receive only 70, they should start complaining of course. People live on those pensions. The president lied to us and differentiated the retired people into privileged and non-privileged ones.”

Avtandil Beridze, co-chairman of the public movement “Serve Georgia”, member of the Khelvachauri municipal board: “The government decided to increase pensions through a very easy way. They increased pensions only for those disabled people who make minority in the group. There are several thousand disabled people of the second group in Georgia and they live in poverty because of unemployment. Nevertheless, they still receive 70 GEL. The government had promised to increase the pensions up to 100 USD till the end of 2009 but it is not enough either. The pensions must not be lower than living and subsistence minimum.

Georgian prime-minister Nika Gilauri stated the minimal pension in Georgia is 100 GEL. “All social allowance will be maintained. It means, dozens, thousand pensioners will have more than 100 GEL. And the starting amount of the pension will be 100 GEL. The reform referred to more than 670 thousand retired people and 24 thousand disabled people. We made the decision in spring; we accumulated about 35 million GEL and 13 million GEL will be transferred to social budget every month. It is very important that pension increased 7 times during recent 4-5 years. Years ago, the pension was 14 GEL. Since then it raised up to 28 GEL, then 55 GEL… Today we can already state that 100 GEL will be starting amount of pension in Georgia.”

However, it is fact that part of pensioners still receives 55 GEL and another part receives 70 GEL.

Unanswered questions on Nika Gilauri’s wall on Facebook

According to the Social Service Agency (http://www.ssa.gov.ge/), by September 1, 2011 663 thousand retired people and 23 500 people with physical disabilities of the first group receive 100 GEL – their total number is 686 500 people. According to official data, there are 828 203 pensioners in Georgia.

The Human Rights Center found questions of those citizens who were asking the prime-minister Nika Gilauri about the increased pensions on his wall in Facebook a month ago, but have not received answers yet.

Tamuna: I would like to ask you about the increased pensions. I have learned that it will be raised up to 100 GEL but I wonder whether it refers to the families without bread-winner. My husband died and my child receives pension of 55 GEL. I want to know whether the increased pension will refer to us too.

Tamuna: Mr. Nika, please, answer my question.

Nato: I had the same question, Tamuna. I also wonder … please, answer our questions Mr. Nika.

Gia: Mr. Nika, it is clear that you have increased pensions only for civilians but what is about military servants?! We receive less than 100 GEL. I see nobody cares about military retired people. I am also disabled person of the second group. Maybe you will accumulate some funds for our pensions too. A very unfair law about pensions was adopted in 2006. If an MP retires because of disability and receives 125% of his/her monthly salary, why a military servant should have only 0, 75 % of his salary after having retired. It is very unfair! A military servant sacrifices his life to the homeland. It should not be so unfair.

Nato: “They claim minimal pension in Georgia is 100 GEL as if nobody gets less than 100 GEL in Georgia! At least say the truth!...

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