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Local Budgets Do Not Meet Real Needs of Population

January 28, 2009

 Municipality board mitting
Gela Mtivlishvili, Kakheti

According to the Law of Georgia on “Single Budget of Local Self-Governance”, draft budget shall be published at least one month before the municipality board starts discussion on it. In this case, citizens shall be able to participate in decision-making process. Local government does not implement this responsibility imposed by the law. Consequently, the residents of the region do not have information about the local budget, what projects shall be funded from it and how efficiently the budget sums shall be spent. Similar information should be spread by media sources.

Representatives of the non-governmental organization “Association of Civil Development” state that local budget does not meet the real needs of local population. “In the after-war period it is completely unacceptable from local self-governance to ignore severe social and economical problems and to carry out inefficient expenditure of local budget that shall create serious problems for the development of the country,” it is an extract from the assessment of municipality budget that was prepared by the NGO.

Giorgi Bokeria, the director of the Association recalled the results of surveys that were carried out in various district. For example, the survey in the villages of Apeni, Leliani, Heretiskari, Baisubani and Kartubani in Lagodekhi district revealed that local residents mostly suffer from social problems like lack of drinking and irrigation water systems, poor conditions of roads, polluted channels, lack of night light-posts, poorest conditions of the roads to agricultural plots, etc. Minimal funds are allocated in the local budget for social programs.

“Lagodekhi district government considers that the people mostly need to have culture-sport events funded rather than their social problems resolved. In 2008 quite a considerable sum, 616 790 GEL (app. 300 000 Euro) was envisaged in the budget for culture-sport events while only 75 400 GEL (app. 38 000 Euro) was envisaged for healthcare and 78 650 GEL (app.40 000 Euro) for social welfare,” said Bokeria.

In order to fund culture-sport events Lagodekhi municipality board envisaged 711 000 GEL (app. 350 000 Euro) for 2009.

The survey was carried out in Sighnaghi district too and residents of the villages of Tibaani and Nuikriani were interviewed. The survey revealed that people from this district also suffer from social problems. More precisely, they complain about drinking and irrigation water system; poor conditions of roads; absence of drainage channels, lack of night light-posts and poorest conditions of the roads to their agriculture plots. Like in Lagodekhi district budget of Sighnaghi district also envisages too small funds for social problems. Whilst, 780 100 GEL (app.400 000 Euro) will be spent for culture-sport events. In parallel to it, only 65 000 GEL (30 000 Euro) will be spent for healthcare and 126 000 GEL (app.60 000 Euro) for social programs.

Annexes to Lagodekhi and Sighnaghi district budgets do not show what public product will be created after municipal programs are funded. Furthermore, Sighnaghi district governor stated that creation of new working places is envisaged in the budget for 2009. However, the governor could not explain how and for whom they will create these places.

Gia Gozalishvili, Lagodekhi district governor denies unreasonable expenditure of budget resources. He said local authority also survey the needs of local population after what they implement various projects to assist population. “People request to resolve such problems that will be funded from central budget based on the governmental recommendation. Several serious projects have already been funded and we work on various projects,” said the district governor.

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