Administrative expenses in regions have increased at 10 %
Gela Mtivlishvili, Kakheti
Except several districts in Kakheti region almost every municipality boards enacted local budgets for 2009. Although the Prime-Minister ordered budget organizations to reduce administrative expenses, in several districts the administrative expenses exceeded 25-30 % of total local budgets. Based on President’s resolution local governmental officials rapidly increased their salaries up-to maximum amount indicated in the resolution. New people are employed at district administrations without any reasonable motives. Besides that authorities of Sighnaghi, Lagodekhi and Telavi districts intend to spend 4 000 sheets of paper, to drive 400 kilometers by car per day and to speak on mobile phone for 800 hours per year.
According to official data, administrative expenses for 2009 in each district of Kakheti region have exceeded one million GEL that is 10 % more than last year. For example, Sighnaghi municipality board intends to spend 1 000 500 GEL in 2009 (about 32 % of the income of budget). Lagodekhi municipality board will spend 1 083 500 GEL this year (it makes 30 %) and Telavi Municipality board will spend 1 549 700 GEL (25 %).
In 2008 number first priority for Sighnaghi municipality board was administrative expenses. Initially 904 000 GEL was intended to be spent for the purpose and it made 28, 5 % of the budget; but according to data of October 30, 2008 the real expenses of the municipality board was increased with 168 900 GEL and it amounted to 1 072 900 GEL. Like last year, Sighnaghi municipality board artificially exaggerated the expenses. For example, members of the municipality board spent 15 000 GEL on fuel; that means 60 GEL was spent on the fuel a day and it made 400 kilometer-drive during working hours a day. The same is the situation regarding fuel expenses of the district governor. It turns out that governor drove 40 kilometers a day that is 6-7 hours a day. Based on the figures, we can conclude that board of Sighnaghi administration is not in office during working hours. Maybe, it is reason why small funds are envisaged for economical activities and communal expenses because they actually do not have time to pay attention to these fields.
Expenses of the municipality board and chancellery of the administrative board amounted to 23 000 GEL. Most part of the sum – 16 080 GEL was spent on paper. If we analyze the figures, we find out that administrative board and municipality board uses about 1 million sheets of paper per year; it makes 3 831 sheets of paper a day. Everybody can guess that municipality board cannot use so many sheets of paper a day. 13 600 GEL is envisaged for mobile phone credit cards for the personnel of the municipality board in 2009. It means, local authority should talk on the phone 800 hours this year.
Almost similar is the situation in other districts of Kakheti region. Initially, budget of 2009 for Gurjaani district is 4 259 600 GEL and 1 248 100 GEL out of it should be spent on administrative expenses.
Serious funds are spent for the maintenance of the administration of Kakheti regional governor. The governor and all his three deputies are served with luxurious cars; they have unlimited fuel supply and credit cards for mobile phones. In addition to that, short time ago, 100 000 GEL was spent on the rehabilitation and furniture of the offices of the governor and his deputies.
Giorgi Bokeria, director of the Association of Civil Development, stated that according to the standards adopted by development countries administrative expenses of the government should not exceed 10-12 % of entire budget.
“This principle was envisaged in the initial variant of the Organic Law on Self-Governance. More precisely, Article 51 of the Law stated that administrative expenses of self-governmental body should not exceed 10% of the total budget. Unfortunately, this regulation was abolished as a result of the first legislative changes. Consequently, local self-governmental bodies are allowed to increase administrative expenses two-three times than reasonable limit,” said Bokeria.
Head of the non-governmental organization said that personnel of the municipality boards and district administrations are increasing that is becoming a serious burden for local population. “There are a lot of department where personnel can be reduced. Governmental officials also speak about this possibility but they do not do anything in fact because they are afraid to increase the number of discontent people. Instead, many problems remain unresolved because of salaries for extra personnel that make another bigger part of society discontent. We think administrative expenses of local authorities are huge and it should be reduced.
Local self-governmental bodies should take after the Cabinet of Ministers and reduce their expenses at least at 10%; in this case about 1 million GEL will be released from the budget of Kakheti region. The released sum can be spent on social projects,” said the head of the Association of Civil Development.
Nevertheless, as we were reported, district governors are not going to reduce the expenses. Two weeks have passed since Prime Minister Nika Gilauri issued resolution on the reduction of administrative expenses but district authorities have not changed anything in their budgets.
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