2014 state budget approved

Parliament approved on December 11 state budget for next year, setting revenues at almost GEL 7.32 billion and expenditures at GEL 7.22 billion.

Targeted tax revenues have been set at 6.82 billion; the figure is GEL 100 million less than targeted this year. In 2013 income from tax revenues is falling short of the target.

Government forecasts 5% economic growth next year. The government has revised downward 2013 growth forecast from initial 6% to 2.5%; according to the state statistics office real GDP grew 1.9% year-on-year in the first ten months of this year.

UNM lawmakers, who have strongly criticized the document, were not present during the discussion of the 2014 state budget as they staged a walkout in protest against a scuffle that erupted in the chamber on December 11.

One of the issues criticized by the opposition MPs about the budget is government’s plans to issue next year GEL 600 million worth securities.

GEL 400 million of this debt, according to the government, will be used for covering budgetary expenses and repaying parts of state debt. GEL 200 million, according to the government, will be placed as a deposit in commercial banks to make it available for long-term business loans in national currency. Government estimates that total debt will amount 35.3% of GDP next year.

Breakdown of funding per ministry, according to the 2014 budget, is as follows:

Ministry of Healthcare and Social Protection – GEL 2.65 billion (2013 – GEL 2.345 billion; 2012 – GEL 1.821 billion);
Ministry of Regional Development and Infrastructure – GEL 875 million (2013 – GEL 928.5 million);
Ministry of Education and Science – GEL 754.3 million (2013 – GEL 673.2 million);
Ministry of Agriculture - GEL 263.5 million (2013 – GEL 241 million);
Defense Ministry – GEL 660 million (same as in 2013; figure stood at GEL 730.6 million in 2012 and at GEL 711 million in 2011);
Interior Ministry – GEL 570 million (2013 – GEL 570 million; 2012 – GEL 587.8 million; 2011 – GEL 568 million);
Ministry of Energy – GEL 114.6 million (2013 – GEL 118.7 million);
Finance Ministry – GEL 96 million (2013 - GEL 100 million );
Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development – GEL 87 million (2013 - GEL 55 million);
Justice Ministry - GEL 60.5 million (2013 – GEL 71.4 million);
Prison system ministry – GEL 157 million (2013 – GEL 174.3 mln);
Foreign Ministry - GEL 90 million (2013 – GEL 80 mln);
Ministry of Culture and Protection of Monuments – GEL 80 million (same as in 2013);
Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs - GEL 53.9 million (2013 – GEL 47.2 million);
Ministry of Environment Protection - GEL 31 million (2013 – GEL 25.9 million);
Ministry of IDPs from the Occupied Territories, Accommodation and Refugees - GEL 48 million (same in 2013);
State Ministry for Reintegration – GEL 1.3 million (same in 2013);
State Ministry for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration – GEL 2.8 million (2013 – GEL 2.3 million);
State Ministry for Diaspora Issues – GEL 900,000 (2013 – GEL 850 thousand).

Funding of the government’s administration will be GEL 20 million; President’s administration will receive GEL 9 million that is by GEL 20,000 more compared to this year’s funding. Funding of Parliament is set at GEL 52 million.

Next year the President’s discretionary reserve fund will be halved to GEL 5 million, while the government’s similar fund will remain unchanged at GEL 50 million.

Funding of courts will be increased to cover planned increase of salaries for judges; funding of the Constitutional Court will stand at GEL 3.3 million (2013 – GEL 2.6 million); Supreme Court – GEL 6.6 million (2013 – GEL 5.5 million); common courts – GEL 47.4 million (2013 – GEL 34.9 million).

Funding of Geostat, state statistics office, will significantly increase from 2013’s GEL 4.5 to GEL 14.6 million with GEL 8.8 million to be spent on population census planned in 2014.

State funding for the Georgian Orthodox Church remains unchanged at GEL 25 million next year.

Adapted from Civil.ge