Finance Minister on Open Budget Index: 5th Place Is Real Success for Georgia

Georgia’s Finance Minister, Mamuka Bakhtadze, made a comment on the Open Budget Index 2017 survey, according to which, Georgia is among the top 5 countries by its budget transparency.

The Minister said that 5th place among 115 countries is a huge achievement for Georgia, and shows that the already implemented reforms in the country have brought positive results.

"This is a great success, and each of our reforms and initiatives are focused on the major challenges in our country, such as unemployment and poverty,” he said.

Bakhtadze added that Georgia’s achievement in the Open Budget Index will bring more investment to Georgia.

“We will be able to attract more investments, accelerate the economic growth of Georgia, and create more jobs. I would like to thank the Ministry of Finance of Georgia, all public agencies and the NGOs involved in this process, and congratulate them on this very great success,” the Finance Minister stated.

The Open Budget Index is the world’s only independent, comparative measure of central government budget transparency.

The survey studies budget openness and management in three directions: budget transparency, public transparency and budget oversight.

Georgia received 82 points and took 5th place after such countries as: New Zealand, South Africa, Sweden and Norway.

By Thea Morrison

Related story: Georgia Ranked 5th Among 115 Countries by Budget Transparency