Cell Phones for the Personnel of Batumi City Hall to Be Purchased with Budget Funds

Maka Malakmadze, Adjara

Cell phones for the personnel of the Batumi City Hall will be purchased by budget funds. 13 000 GEL was allocated from the budget on purpose. We could not get clarifications about the issue from the representatives of the Batumi City Hall.

The procurement plan was balloted at the session of Batumi City Council on November 2. Although the minority of the City Council declined the plan suggested by the financial department of the City Hall, 13 000 GEL was allocated for the purchase of 16 cell-phones from the budget. The employees of the Batumi City Hall will use the phones.

The plan was introduced by the head of financial department Archil Vanadze. He tried to justify their initiative and said the employees will better implement their duties with new cell-phones.

Board Chair of the Non-governmental organization “Union of Adjara’s Independent Experts” Aslan Lortkipanidze believes the procurement of cell-phones by budget funds is unreasonable expenditure. “When there is necessity to increase social programs in Batumi, purchase of cell-phones for the City Hall personnel can be evaluated as unreasonable expenditure. The procurement shall be justified by corresponding documents. It is somehow acceptable, if it is proved that productivity of labor will increase with new cell phones that they cannot afford with their own sources. Otherwise, I cannot see the necessity of similar expenditure.”

Batumi representative of the Labor Party Davit Robakidze also protested the procurement of cell phones for public servants. “When their salaries amount to 2 000 GEL per month and several officials even have higher salaries, and also enjoy some other privileges, it is dishonest to spend budget funds on their cell phones… but there is nobody to control them!”

The Human Rights Center got in touch with Irina Shervashidze, head of press-center and protocol department of the Batumi City Hall to get answers on the following questions: why did they decide to purchase cell-phones for public officials with budget funds? Personnel of which department will receive new cell phones? and How will it increase their productivity? Shervashidze requested time to collect information to answer our questions. Afterwards, we called her several times but Irina Shervashidze was either busy or out of office. So, the Human Rights Center is waiting for official clarifications about the issue from the City Hall.