Municipal administrations in Kakheti region cannot name positive outcomes from their delegations’ visits abroad

Information Center of Kakheti

In 2015-2016, senior officials of the municipal administrations in Kakheti region had 41 visits abroad. In most cases, the purpose of their visits was participation in the anniversaries, cultural or other events, building and enhancing contacts with the administration entities in foreign countries, also participation in the seminars and trainings. None of the municipal administration can name tangible positive outcome from those visits. 

On September 28, 2016 Network of Information Centers addressed all municipal councils and administrations (including the Telavi City Hall) in the Kakheti region and requested information about the visits of the senior officials of the municipalities – district governor/mayor, their deputies, chairpersons of the municipal/city councils and their deputies from January 1, 2015 (name of the country, purpose of the visit and achieved results from the visits, amount of the money spent from the budget on those visits, and more). 

According to the obtained information, in 2015-2016, Telavi City Hall, Akhmeta and Kvareli municipal administrations spent the most funds on the visits of the senior officials abroad; however, Gurjaani and Sagarejo municipal administrations did not spend funds at all. 

As for the concrete officials, Akhmeta municipal governor Beka Baidauri (7 398 GEL), Kvareli municipal governor Ilia Mzekalashvili (4 706 GEL) and Telavi city mayor Platon Kalmakhelidze (4 374 GEL) spent the most funds during their visits abroad.

The detailed information from each municipality is as follows:

Akhmeta

As it was noted, according to the visits abroad, Akhmeta municipal governor Beka Baidauri was leader among the governors in Kakheti region. In 2015-2016, he visited USA, Israel, Austria, Poland, Latvia and Lithuania. According to the information provided by the district administration, 7 398 GEL was spent on his visits abroad.

Although official letter does not provide information about it, but the Network of Information Centers have verified information that Akhmeta municipal governor visited France, Italy, Czech republic and Sweden in the same period; besides that, he had new year holidays in Greece together with his wife. However, it should be noted that the Network does not have information about the concrete purposes of the visits and sources of funding.

Neither deputy governors refrained from foreign visits. First deputy governor Vano Naskidashvili visited Moldova and Latvia; deputy governor Tamar Kavtarashvili – Lithuania (twice) and Latvia. Total 3 650 GEL was spent on these visits from the Akhmeta municipal budget.

Other senior officials of the Akhmeta municipal council also visited foreign countries in the report period: chairman Gela Jugashvili visited Lithuania (Klaipeda) and his deputy Tamaz Tsitelauri – Latvia (Ligante). The local budget spent 2 052 GEL on their visits.

According to the official information, 13 100 GEL was spent from the local budget on the foreign visits of the governor and senior officials of the municipal council. 

Gurjaani

According to the provided information, Gurjaani municipal administration did not spend funds on the visits of the senior officials in foreign countries. Namely, neither the governor Givi Gergidze nor his deputies have been abroad since January 1, 2015. In September 2015, council chairman Zviad Kviralashvili was in Poland to attend seminars but the visit was not funded from the local budget.

Dedoplistskaro 

In 2015, municipal governor Nikoloz Janiashvili and council chairman Zviad Javakhishvili visited Poland (Malbork) and Switzerland (Bern). Deputy council chairman Nugzar Papiashvili was in Poland together with them too.

Total 8 872 GEL was spent on their visits from local budget.

Telavi (community)

Telavi community governor Aleksandre Shatirishvili and his deputy Zurab Svimonishvili visited Poland (including one visit for Wine Festival), Belarus (Cherry Festival) and Slovakia, that cost 7 239 GEL for the local budget. 

According to the information provided from the municipal council, the chairman Paata Giorgobiani only once visited foreign state in the report period and he participated in the seminar about the reforms in local self-governments and 429 GEL was spent from the local budget on his visit. 

Telavi City

Telavi city mayor Platon Kalmakhelidze and his deputies had 9 visits abroad in 2015-2016 – twice in China, three times in Germany, once in Switzerland, Poland, Latvia and Belgium. 10 743 GEL was spent on all these visits from the municipal budget.

In the same period, city council chairman Archil Tkhlashidze paid 4 visits abroad in the same report period (twice in Poland and Belarus) to participate in cultural events and wine festival. Local budget spent 5 830 GEL on his visits. 

In total, 16 573 GEL was spent on all visits from the local budget in Telavi.

Lagodekhi

Lagodekhi municipal senior officials paid 4 visits abroad: governor Karlo Jamburia visited Germany and Great Britain; first deputy governor Giorgi Bokeria – Poland and Latvia, deputy governor Ioseb Tkemaladze and chairman of the municipal council Vakhtang Salaridze in Latvia. In total, 4 414 GEL was spent from the local budget on their visits.

Sagarejo 

Sagarejo municipal governor Giorgi Gzirishvili had only one visit abroad to participate in the business forum Moli Kakheti in Switzerland in August, 2015. The visit was fully covered by the Swiss government. As for other officials from local self-governments, in the report period nobody had visits abroad.

Signagi

Signagi municipal governor Davit Janikashvili had two visits abroad – in Poland (together with the chairman of the municipal council Gocha Toklikishvili) and in Switzerland. 3 619 GEL was spent on their visits from the local budget.

Kvareli

Kvareli municipal governor Ilia Mzekalashvili visited Poland (Warsaw), Belarus (Minsk) alone and Lithuania and Latvia together with his deputies Ketevan Zautashvili and Malkhaz Khizanishvili. Besides that, Ketevan Zautashvili was in Belgium in March 2016. In total 8 737 GEL was spent on their visits from the local budget.

Chairman of the Kvareli municipal council Jemal Shaverdashvili visited Switzerland in August 2015; his deputy Zurab Chkheidze visited Lithuania and Latvia. Total 3 802 GEL was spent on their visits from the local budget.

In total, 12 539 GEL was spent from Kvareli municipal budget on the visits of senior officials abroad.