Tbilisi Budget adopted despite opposition's protest

Seven oppositional Deputies of Tbilisi Self-Government has voted against the draft city budget, offered by the authorities, but still it was adopted by the majority of them.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on December 14, the national parliament adopted the state budget of Georgia, also under the protest of oppositional MPs. The budget is a surplus one; and the authorities have already warned that they will achieve the surplus, among other things, through increasing taxes and excise dues on cigarettes, oil products and cars.

The Tbilisi budget was adopted against the unprecedented drop of the national currency – 2.68 laris per US dollar. Its revenues are projected at 734.9 million laris (294 million US dollars at the preset exchange rate), and the expenditures – at 563.5 million laris (USD 225 million).

The priorities are stated as improvement of the road infrastructure, transport and sewage system, street landscaping, restoration of architectural monuments and increasing the attractiveness of the capital for tourist.

Also, the budget envisions works with the aim to win the status of Smart City – the city that uses high technologies.

The budget was sharply criticized the oppositional "United National Movement" (UNM). The budget assumes no money for subsidising communal services, and to improve the transport system, the authorities propose to replace only 20% of public transport, Tamaz Shoshiashvili, a UNM member, has stated.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.