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Altered Budget with Similar Plans

July 23, 2007

sakrebulob.gifOn July 17, unlike other meetings, the session of the Gori Municipality started fifteen minutes later. Nukri Papunashvili, the Deputy Chairman of the Municipality, excused himself for being late.

Since Papunashvili moved into Municipality and left his previous position of District Governor, has become more democratic. Journalists were allowed to attend the municipality meeting. Consequently, the occasion became more interesting. Other members of the Municipality did not or could not say anything at the meeting and supported all proposed questions without comments.

At the meeting it was announced that several members were appointed to various positions. Davit Kekelishvili, former Deputy Chairman of the Legal and Human Rights Commission within the Municipality was appointed to the position of the Deputy Gubernator. The Municipality appointed Mamuka Davituliani to Kekelishvili’s previous position. The meeting was more interesting because the budget was discussed at the meeting.

The Municipality agreed Vasil Makharashvili, Gori Municipality Governor to sign state purchase contracts. According to Prime-Minister, Zurab Noghaideli’s direction, 1 700 000 lari was transferred to Gori Municipality for reasonable expenses. The money should be spent on the rehabilitation of the motor-ways of Gori-Garejvari-Skra, Tkviavi-Karbi and Karaleti-Kvemo Artsevi.

Regarding the question, Shalva Tlashadze, a representative of the Republican Party, demanded detailed information about the announced and implemented tender at the meeting. Makharashvili stated that two companies took part in the tender. One of them is Road-Construction Company # 1which always wins the tender without any obstacles.

Mamuka Bazandarashvili, majority deputy from Karaleti Community, expressed his concern regarding the reduced funds on the repair-works of the roads in Karaleti-Kvemo Artsevi. In the previous budget 480 000 lari was envisaged for the purpose while now it reduced to 367 000 lari.

Supposedly, 113 000 lari was removed from the initial budget envisaged for Karaleti-Kvemo Artsevi motor-way rehabilitation and added to the repair-works of the Mereti-Karbi motor-way because the latter should include Tkviavi, the native village of the Regional Gubernator, Mikheil Kareli.

Like at every municipality meetings, one more change was introduced to the Budget. Additional funds were allocated to various projects. 24 000 lari is envisaged for expenses on reservists recruit. As it is known, all expenses for reservists recruit is provided by the Defense Ministry and the expenses should not have been envisaged in the local budget.

122 000 lari is envisaged for painting the facades in Gori. Shalva Tlashadze wondered how urgent it was to decorate the facades when almost all block of flats in the city had their roofs needed reparation. Nukri Papunashvili defined that the above-mentioned funds will be spent on the repair-works of the roofs as well. However, it is strange how it can be spent on roofs while it is written in the budget that 122 000 lari must be used for painting the facades.”

Most part of the population protests the painting of the facades because the buildings are too colorful. When it rains people are carrying umbrellas in their flats and the priority of the government should not be the painting of the facades.

We wonder how important is fixing colorful plastic boards to the verandas of residential buildings while the rain leaks in the top floors. 83 800 lari is envisaged in the budget for plastic boards. Opponents think that the government would rather ask the society what is more important for them when planning the budget.

45 000 lari is envisaged for reconstruction of Rustaveli Memorial. The latter was repaired and opened by all governments.

2 700 lari is still apportioned for the illumination of the Gori Fortress from the budget. The budget includes the expenses for decorative illumination of the buildings (?!). The lights were installed last year. At that time city and district administrations were separate. Although the installation of the illuminations was exclusive responsibility of the Self-government, the city was illuminated by District Administration. However, they could not exploit it because they had abused their power. The decorative lights, installed last year, are exploited only now. It is interesting how local authority managed to pay the electricity bills for the illuminations last year. It is quite natural to assume that population was to pay the bills. The situation has often become the reason for public concern. They complained about the Electro-Distribution Company – the latter made them pay extra money.

The Self-government apportioned 26 thousand lari on the expenses for youth organizations. Papunashvili replied to Shalva Tlashadze’s question regarding the budget, that funds were necessary to send children to patriot camps.

As it is known the Ministry of Culture, Sport and Monument Protection apportions money to the patriot camps.

The Article on “Organizing the Free Nutrition for the Children without Parental Care” is particularly interesting. 40 thousand lari is apportioned for the purpose. Early in the year the same amount of money was envisaged in the budget; however the free canteen has not opened yet. Only five months remained till the end of the year. If we take into consideration that there is not free canteen in the city, neither a tetri should have been spent from the apportioned fund. In addition to that, 40 thousand lari should not be envisaged in the altered budget and it should be spent on some other more important problems.

Thea Tedliashvili, Gori

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