Salary fund in the Gori municipality administration and municipality assembly increased with 574 000 GEL

Lado Bitchashvili, Shida Kartli

The salaries in the executive body of the Gori self-government body increased according to ranks. First rank public servant will receive 1 700 GEL instead of 1 490 GEL; second rank public servant will receive 1 400 GEL instead of 1 150 GEL. The salaries in the Gori self-governing bodies were increased at 150-200 GEL averagely. 

Head of the financial-budgetary service of the Gori municipality administration said the contracted employees were hired in the administration.

“If we compare the salary foundation of 2017 with 2018 budget, it was increased with 480 000 GEL only,” Dali Tlashadze said. 

The amendments in the financial document was approved with majority of votes on January 18, at the session of the Gori municipality assembly. Part of the amendments referred to the salaries of the assembly officials and their salary budget increased at 94 000 GEL.

The assembly members from the ruling party created additional two fractions in the assembly – Entrepreneurs and Conservators. From the opposition parties, only United National Movement managed to create a fraction. Four fractions in the assembly have four chairpersons and five deputy chairs because the law allows the fraction to appoint deputy chair for every 5 members in the fraction. Fraction Georgian Dream- Democratic Georgia will have two deputies, the rest fractions will have only one deputy each. Deputy chairs of the fractions will receive salary of 1 100 GEL that will amount to 66 000 GEL a year for all deputies. 

Gori municipality assembly member from the UNM protested creation of additional two fractions by the members of the ruling party in the assembly and said that majority of the assembly members create their own comfort at the sake of the budget.

Vasilisa Jabakhidze negatively evaluated the amendments in the law, which fixed salaries for the deputy chairpersons of the fractions.

“When we have grave social problems in the country, the pensions were not raised at all, I do not think it is correct to increase the salaries of the public servants. In addition to that, the amendments in the law, which fixed salaries for the deputy chairpersons of the fractions,” Jabakhadze said.

The majority members say the statements of the opposition members are speculations. As for the increased salaries, the assembly chairperson Davit Razmadze said the salary fund was increased in accordance to the law.

 

Davit Razmadze, chairperson of the Gori municipality assembly: “The law allowed us to change the salary budget. Consequently, we increased the salaries for the heads of the service units and specialists in the municipality administration.”

According to the law about Labor Reimbursement in the Public Agencies adopted on December 22, 2017, the Parliament determined the rules and conditions for paying the salaries in public agencies.

Lawyer of Human Rights Center’s Shida Kartli office Aleksi Merebashvili said the law aims to reserve budget funds, to ban ungrounded bonuses and salary supplements, and to promote reasonable expenditure of funds. The law directly bans increase of the salary budget in the period of 2018-2020.  

“By increasing the salary fund they breached the law and adjusted the budget to their own demands. The statement that because of the new law “they had to” increase salaries for their employees, is wrong. The law allows them, in accordance to the new rule, to maintain the previous salaries for their employees,” Merebashvili said.