Maka Malakmadze, Adjara
What is the Batumi budget spent on and what information the residents have on it, whether or not they agree with such spending – this is the short list of questions that the Human Rights Center asked Batumi residents. The majority of our respondents do not have information on budget amount and its spending. People are indifferent – many do not show interest in the state budget spending.
“Is not this budget just for them? Does it matter if they increase or decrease it? For us, ordinary Batumi residents, the main thing is employment. I do not even have a place to work as a laborer. My brother worked for 20 days and they cancelled the social assistance for a poor family with nine members,” – states Tinatin Rukhadze.
“The budget is increasing, but they do not remember us, pensioners. Years have passed since the President’s promise of hundred dollar pension. They have probably already forgotten this,” – states one of the pensioners.
“A lot of money has been spent for opening up and live broadcasting of some monument. We are deprived of our daily bread. The fee on Marshutka line has increased from 20 to 50 GEL,” – states driver, Nuriko Zoidze.
“These concerts are good, but are we on mood for concert?! When you do not have bread at home, the main thing you are concerned about is how to get money and you have no desire to watch the monument opening in the live TV,” – stated one of the students.
The last year’s budget of Batumi has increased almost by two million GEL. Before determining the new budget, on November 30th, at the Session of Batumi City Council, Batumi 2010 budget increased by 3 381 500 GEL. The increase was conditioned by the transfer of money from the President’s reserve Foundation and alienation of property under City Hall’s ownership.
The finances obtained from the transfer, basically, are spent on cultural activities, specifically: 1 453 000 GEL – for Placido Domingo’s concert, 296 400 – for financing entertainment activities for Christmas and New Year’s, 72 100 GEL for live broadcasting of opening the monument of man and woman, 10 000 GEL for different cultural activities, and 1 550 000 GEL for rehabilitation of Old Batumi.
At that time the opposition of City Council did not support the resolutions presented by the majority. Christian-Democrat Vazha Verulidze named the following reasons for refusal: the distribution of sums without Sakrebulo’s consent, unpreparedness of the relevant projects and the absence of the preliminarily worked out plan on reserve foundation money spending.
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