Dead Beneficiaries of the Free Canteen

Nino Mshvidobadze, Guria

As a result of the internal inspection, Internal Audit and Supervision Service of the Lanchkhuti district administration discovered two dead beneficiaries on the list of Lanchkhuti district free canteen. The administration had to remove them from the list immediately but it did not happen. Free canteens were first opened in 2004. From Mart 1, 2007 the canteen became non-commercial legal entity and State Audit Service inspected the activities of the legal entity in the period of March 1, 2007 to July 1, 2013. 

“It is impossible to estimate based on the documents when beneficiaries died and when they were replaced by another person. 32 beneficiaries passed away from 2008 to 2013. Two dead persons were registered in the 2010 list though in accordance to the law, the dead people shall be immediately removed from the list. Nevertheless, in the case of one dead beneficiary the canteen had spent funds for 197 days that is 291 lari in total; as for the second beneficiary, the canteen wasted 66 lari,” the head of the State Audit Office Gogi Patsuria said.

Audit Office found some other violations too. 115 beneficiaries had dinner in the free canteen before November 1, 2009. In November canteen manager applied to the Board Chairman for funding in November, 2009. Goga Patsuria said the increase of funding was illegally requested because number of beneficiaries was increased at 20 without informing the Social Commission of the Municipal Board. “In 2010, the contingent increased from 110 to 135. In parallel to it, based on the Resolution # 19 of the Board Chairman issued on November 6, 2009, the funding was increased up to 74 666 lari so the salary fund was also increased up to 18 360 lari, food fund  up to 48 950 lari and 1.48 lari was allocated for one person per day.”

The inspection showed that in 2011 and 2012 number of beneficiaries reduced from 135 to 60 though the salary fund was not reduced. 

As a result of the inspection, Audit Office found that visits of beneficiaries in the canteen were not properly recorded. For example, on August 13, 2013 13 beneficiaries did not visit canteen. On August 14 – 16 beneficiaries did not appear. According to factual calculation, the accountancy documents show the expenditures for full contingent. 

Chairman of the commission for social issues at the Municipal Board Gocha Janashia said this issue shall be necessarily studied in details. “Municipal Board shall study the violations observed by the Audit Office and if they are confirmed, we will act in accordance to the law. Free canteen serve people without care and nobody will forgive them mistakes,” Janashia told humanrights.ge