NGO: State Governors’ Expenses Increased in 2018-2019

Non-governmental organization Transparency International (TI) Georgia has published a study which show that the salaries, fuel, communication and trip expenses of the nine State Representatives (Governors) is increasing by the year.

The NGO says that the total expenses incurred by the nine Governors in 2018-2019 totaled GEL 10,797,168 ($3,869,952).

The remuneration of the state Representatives’ Administrations in 2018-2019 amounted to GEL 8,212,842 ($2,943,670), which is GEL 1,411,749 ($506,003) higher compared to the figure from 2016-2017 (GEL 6,801,093 / $2437,667).

In the same period, a total of GEL 655,454 ($234,929) was issued as a salary supplement, award or bonus to the governors. The report says that in 2018-2019, the largest amount of allowances, awards and bonuses was given by the Kakheti State Administration - GEL 122,578 ($43,934).

To note, as of December 31, 2019, there were 267 employees in the nine administrations of the State Representatives’ Office, and as of January 1, 2018, more than 276 people were employed.

TI also published a similar study last year, which said that in 2017, compared to the previous year, the amount paid by the administrations of State Representatives to Governors in salaries increased by GEL 101,354 ($36,327). Regarding the bonuses and awards in 2017, TI’s previous study read that compared to 2016, the amount paid by the administrations of State Representatives in bonuses and salary supplements had decreased. However, like in 2016, salary supplements in 2017, too, were paid by all administrations monthly.

It is noteworthy that in 2017, the largest bonus, to the amount of GEL 53,050 ($19,014), was paid by the Kakheti Administration. Also, in 2017, the largest salary supplement, to the amount of GEL 183,677 ($65,834), was paid by the Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti Administration. This administration was also the one to pay the highest amount in salary supplements in 2016.

The recent study reads that as of late 2019, there are 81 vehicles in the administrations of the State Representatives’ Office and the highest number of cars, 13, are registered in the Imereti Governor’s Administration.

GEL 521,959 ($187,082) was spent on the repair or diagnostics of cars in 2018-2019, and GEL 1,109,683 ($397,735) was spent by the State Representatives’ Administrations on fuel purchases in the same period, which is GEL 234,575 ($84,077) higher than such expenses in 2016-2017. The Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti administration consumed most fuel - 87,060 liters, with a total cost of GEL 190,089 in 2018-2019. The same administration also led by fuel expenses in 2017, with 47,458 liters of fuel.

In the period of 2018-2019, GEL 86,993 ($31,180) was spent on telephone communications in the State Governors’ Office, seeing them spending GEL 27,101 ($9,713) on the same services in 2017.

For business trips inside and outside the country, GEL 123,495 ($44,263) was spent in 2018-2019 by the State Representatives, which is much more compared to 2017, when GEL 60,727 ($21,765) was spent. The Kakheti Governor’s Office spent the most money on trips (GEL 34,259 / $12,279) in 2018-2019.

The total amount spent on food and restaurant services by nine Administrations in 2018-2019 totaled GEL 86,742 ($31,090) while it was GEL 32,635 ($11,697), excluding the expenses of the Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti Administration, in 2017. It is noteworthy that in 2018-2019, the Administrations of Guria, Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti and Mtskheta-Mtianeti did not have any restaurant expenses.

By Tea Mariamidze

Image source: 1TV.ge