Tbilisi: As session of Georgia’s national parliament is going on and today Lasha Khutsishvili, the candidate for post of Minister of Finance of Georgia addressed joint session of five committee. He gave speech to joint session in the format of a vote of confidence in the government in the Parliament.
It is worth to note that in his speech he mainly focused on the main areas that will get maximum benefit from the 2024 budget amendments. As per statement of the Minister funds allocated to social support and healthcare programs for the population have increased by more than 2 billion 800 million GEL compared to 2021, which is 35% of the total increased budget.
At the same time over the 3-year period under conditions of increased funding, it became possible to significantly increase pensions and other social expenditures, namely:
- The increase in pensions for pensioners under 70 years of age amounted to 75 GEL and in high-mountain settlements to 90 GEL
- The increase in pensions for people aged 70 and over amounted to 140 GEL and in high-mountain settlements to 168 GEL
- The number of beneficiaries increased by more than 65 thousand
Similarly, compensations for former soldiers and police officers increased by more than 40% and the upper limit of compensation increased from 560 GEL to 1,000 GEL.
On the other hand in line with the increase in pensions, social payments to persons with disabilities of various categories increased as revealed by him. The social rating score of children under 16 receiving assistance increased from 100 thousand to 120 thousand and the amount of monthly assistance directly to the child quadrupled and amounts to 200 GEL per month now.
The financing of healthcare programs (excluding expenses related to the Covid-19 pandemic) increased by more than 800 million GEL. According to Lasha Khutsishvili, funding for defence and security has increased by more than 1 billion 200 million GEL which is 15% of the total increased budget. More than 600 million GEL of the increased funding was directed to improving the social conditions of soldiers and police officers as well.
According to him in the direction of education and science (including funding for kindergartens) funding has been increased by more than 1 billion 450 million GEL (18% of the total increased budget) and in 2024 funding for this area will exceed 3 billion 300 million GEL (an increase of more than 70%).
Moreover within the framework of increased funding, it became possible to increase the average salary of public-school teachers by 700-800 GEL and the average salary of kindergarten staff by 300 GEL.
