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Ministries of Finance and Healthcare Call Upon Tbilisi City Hall to Execute Their Responsibilities

November 6, 2012

The Ministries of Finance and Healthcare spread joint statements on the issues related with social programs in the Tbilisi City Hall.

According to their statements, issues related with social programs within the Tbilisi City Hall and the fate of about 600 000 residents of Tbilisi participating in these programs became actualized the last few days. On that ground, the Ministry of Finance together with the Ministry of Labor, Healthcare and Social Welfare decided to spread an additional statement to further inform citizens about the situation and clarify that the former government of Georgia is absolutely responsible for the delay of three important programs for Tbilisi dwellers – allowances for transportation frees, and social and medical insurances. Namely the former Prime-Minister Vano Merabishvili and city mayor are responsible for the delays of these crucial programs.

The joint statement of the ministries reads: On October 19, former prime-minister Vano Merabishvili signed a decree based on which funds allocated for the implementation of these programs were transferred from Tbilisi city budget to the state budget without agreeing on the issue with the parliament, which breached the budget law. The state budget stipulates that it must spend 25 million more lari in 2012 and extra 78 million lari next year.

On October 20, Tbilisi City Council removed funds envisaged for those programs from the city budget. Tbilisi City Hall sent official letters to insurance companies and notified them about an early suspension of insurance agreements and explained the situation with the lack of funds. Meanwhile, the capital had spent 75% of the total 450 million lari transferred to the city budget throughout the year. Among them, 30 million lari was envisaged for healthcare problems, and City Hall had spent only 17 million lari during 9 months; which meant they still had 13 million lari to spend; 52 million lari was allocated for social programs and only 30 million lari was spent from it. Only 20 million lari out of allocated 35 million lari was spent for public transportation and remaining reserve funds totaled 15 million lari. This decision was made 19 days after the parliamentary elections when government transfer process was already underway. It is also noteworthy that nobody raised these issues at the meetings when the government transfer process was occuring.

It is also noteworthy that aforementioned funds cannot be allocated from the 2012 state budget because relevant articles are not envisaged in the 2012 budget. Besides that, the Ministry of Healthcare does not have relevant infrastructure to take on this responsibility.

Our position is unchangeable – old parameters of the Tbilisi City Hall shall be resumed and it shall return into status quo before October 18. Tbilisi City Hall shall endure the responsibility, which it has taken before its citizens.

IPN

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