Categories
Journalistic Survey
Articles
Reportage
Analitic
Photo Reportage
Exclusive
Interview
Foreign Media about Georgia
Editorial
Position
Reader's opinion
Blog
Themes
Children's Rights
Women's Rights
Justice
Refugees/IDPs
Minorities
Media
Army
Health
Corruption
Elections
Education
Penitentiary
Religion
Others

State Elaborated Strategy to Resolve Demographic Problems

March 31, 2014
 
Nino Devidze

With the initiative of the Prime Minister of Georgia, from June 1, 2014, families will receive monthly allowances for the third and next children in the regions of Georgia, where demographic balance is negative. In the mountainous region, families will receive 200 lari and 150 lari in other regions.

At the first stage, the program will be implemented in six regions – Racha-Lechkhumi, Kvemo Svaneti, Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti, Imereti, Kakheti and Mtskheta-Mtianeti. Minister of Healthcare Davit Sergeenko stated resolution of demographic problems is one of the priorities of the state. “With the prime-minister’s initiative, new state strategy was developed to improve demographic situation in Georgia. Stimulation of large families is main part of this strategy. In the first stage, the project will cover only those regions, where birth rate is low and mortality is high. The model was developed based on international experience and analysis of demographic situation in the country.”

Philosopher Lela Gaprindashvili believes 200-lari allowance will not resolve demographic problem. “Any step taken by the government, that is oriented at assisting large families, is positive fact but on the other hand I do not think it is good when family decides to have third and next child because state pays money for that; I do not believe it will have serious positive impact on the demographic situation. 200 lari is not enough money to take care of an infant in a month. If family members do not have other income, it is very difficult to increase reproductive feelings of population.” 

Lela Gaprindashvili said assisting large families shall not be main part of social policy. “The state shall not take care only of future generation, who will be born in future but also about those, who are already born. Problem of street children is very acute; orphanages are in extremely poor conditions; the state shall not only encourage reproductive feelings of population but take care of already born children too. Many factors block reproductive feelings in the country – first of all migration problems, that is very high in Georgia. Mostly women migrate at reproductive age. Another problem is internal migration process, when people migrate from villages to cities. Many demographist and researcher speak about elderly population of the regions. In fact, nobody wants to have children in the regions. They have second children if first child is daughter and hope for son. So, I think the state policy shall rely on in-depth research and study of the real situation in the country,” Lela Gaprindashvili said.

Minister of Healthcare said the project will be implemented by Social Agency. The state budget will allocate 4 million lari in the first year; next year, the fund will increase up to 8 million lari. The families will receive social allowances from June 1 for the children under 2.  

News