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Nebulous Gori Municipality Budget

March 8, 2008

Saba Tsitsikashvili, Gori

Shida Kartli Regional Governor, Vladimer Vardzleashvili, is happy with Japanese grants, and has been for a long time already. However, he has not decided how to spend the money yet.

A month ago the governor met local NGOs. The media sources were not allowed to attend the meeting. Nonetheless, the Human Rights Center was able to get access to the news.

Before starting the discussion of 1, 5 million GEL grant, Vardzleashvili spoke about roofs, roads, water supply, etc. However, the funds for the reconstruction of the roofs were never mentioned in the approved budget.  As for roads, only 45 000 GEL is allocated for its rehabilitation. Soso Khuroshvili, member of the municipality and from the village of Shavshvebi said that the allocated money will not be enough for the needs of one village.

As for water supply, it is strange to stress the issue because it is widely discussed that Gori District has the best water supply in Georgia. If water main is damaged somewhere there are financial resources from the fund for natural disasters. There is doubt that Zviad Khmaladze, the chairperson of the District Municipality Board, has set procurement priorities for those companies where his friends are working; including Givi Khuroshvili, who is the head of the “Water Company.” Khuroshvili is the head of the Economic Development Department of the Municipality Board.

Givi Khuroshvili explained the fact of absence of funds for roof-repairs. “Mr. Lado has submitted an initiative to the Georgian government to allocate funds to repair the roofs of residential houses in Gori. The question will be settled at the governmental session in March.”

The Human Rights Center studied the state budget too where detailed information is provided about the budget-transfer to regions. Reconstruction of the roofs is not mentioned at all. As for Lado Vardzelashvili’s other initiatives, the storyline is not holding up very well to closer scrutiny and people are already talking. At the meeting, which was attended by a representative of the Human Rights Center too, Vardzelashvili said that he would try to make the government to move the Central HQs of various organizations from Tbilisi to Gori. In this case the local budget will be provided more money. The regional governor wants to open casinos in Gori but he wants to move the local slot clubs outside the city limits.

In accordance to the current legislation only tax incomes are allowed to be provided to the local budget. Revenues are completely eaten up by the central budget. The only benefit from opening casinos in Gori might be the tax from property and a general tax based upon the number of tables in each casino. Financial managers claim that the changes will not bring about profit than slot clubs do now.

As for Japanese grants, the regional governor could not have found time to discuss it in detailed. Based on the information provided by the press-service department of the regional administration the total amount of the grant is 1, 400 000 GEL and it will fund the construction of Youth Centre in the city. The centre will have a library or an art gallery as well as internet-cafes.

However, last year 202 thousand GEL was apportioned for Youth Centre from the local budget. Today the money is separately allocated but without addressing the problem of tourism, culture and youth centers. We wonder whether the grant will start to fund those organizations that are already funded from the local budget.

Last week Lado Vardzleashvili, visited Ozurgeti met with young people. As it is now evident, a youth centre is supposed to be opened sometime soon. Vardzleashvili reported to journalists that they had already announced competition in Shida Kartli and they were close to selecting the candidate who will run the centre. “The competition will be announced in Guria too,” said Vardzelashvili.

 Giorgi Girkelidze, journalist for “Guria News” interviewed Shida kartli governor.

-We have learned that you intend to open casinos in Shida Kartli, is it right?

 -Who said it? Did Saba Tsitsikashvili say it? Give my regards to him…

Lado Vardzleashvili did not continue conversation with journalists.

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