Tbilisi’s vulnerable families, nurses given extra financial support

Tbilisi's most vulnerable families will soon find it easier to afford the cost of basic utilities such as power, gas and water thanks to a new local government initiative to give more financial aid to those in need.

Tbilisi Mayor David Narmania announced vulnerable families in Georgia's capital city would be offered more financial aid in terms of utilities vouchers. He said the amount each vulnerable family would receive would double.

"In the year 2014 a total of nine million GEL was allocated to socially vulnerable families in the form of utility subsidies. As we promised our voters, [we] doubled the amount and 19 million GEL will be spent for this purpose in 2015. Therefore, I want to say that our promises will be fulfilled,” Narmania said at today's Governmental meeting.

As well as this, Narmania noted salaries would increase for nurses working in the Tbilisi Emergency Medical Centre. He said the salary of senior nurses would increase by 100 GEL and total 850 GEL per month, and the salary of junior nurses would increase by 125 GEL and amount to 750 GEL.

"As soon as we started to govern the city in September 2014, we made a decision to increase the salaries of senior and junior doctors, as well as drivers behind the Tbilisi Emergency Medical Centre. We then promised the nurses that from January their salary would also increase and we are fulfilling this promise today,” he said.

"I want to tell each and every person who works in our system and has a 24-hour working regime that Tbilisi City Hall will always take care of them and do its best to provide them with maximum opportunities,” said Narmania.