IDFI: 13% of gov't’s reserve fund spent on Covid-19 pandemic in Georgia in 2020-2021
The government reserve fund enables the state to cover the costs of unexpected expenses, such as natural disasters, epidemics, ecological and other types of disasters. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge.
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Only 13% of the government reserve fund has been spent on the Covid-19 pandemic in Georgia in 2020 and in the six months of 2021, says the Institute for Development of Freedom of Information (IDFI).
The government reserve fund enables the state to cover the costs of unexpected expenses, such as natural disasters, epidemics, ecological and other types of disasters.
The IDFI says that in the reporting period 67 million GEL was allocated from the government reserve fund, of which 61.8 million GEL was spent ‘on various purposes’, including on the fight against the pandemic.
Money spent on the coronavirus fight totalled 7.9 million GEL, said the IDFI.
Here is how the money was distributed in the reporting period:
- 22.7 million GEL (37% of total expenditures) was spent on international arbitration disputes and ongoing proceedings in foreign courts
- 14.4 million GEL (23%) - on financing the Ministry of Defence
- 6.5 million GEL (10%) - for the second round of elections
- 5.6 million GEL (9%) - on the procurement of lobbying and consulting services
The remaining 4.2 million GEL was spent on ‘various purposes', says the IDFI.
In addition, the IDFI says that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has received about half a million GEL which was allocated as a state secret.
A year into the coronavirus pandemic Georgians remain concerned about the state of the economy and the impact of Covid-19, reads poll results released today by the National Democratic Institute (NDI or the Institute) and CRRC Georgia.
The impact of the coronavirus is rippling through the Georgian economy, but it might take a few months to fully see the fallout in data that track economic performance in Georgia.
Treatment of a coronavirus patient in hospital costs on average 2,000 GEL which does not include investments in oxygen stocks and staff training, said Deputy Health Minister Tamar Gabunia.
Georgia has allocated 89,900,000 GEL (about $28.09m/€26.02m) for the implementation of a health programme for 2020 to manage COVID-19. Quarantine spaces, except for the Abastumani Lung Center, will receive not more than 100 GEL per day for each beneficiary.
Georgia has reported 4,031 new cases of coronavirus, 4,585 recoveries and 73 deaths in the past 24 hours. In total, 42,744 tests have been conducted around the country of which 25,358 tests were rapid tests, while the remaining 17,386 were PCR tests. Since February 26, 2020 Georgia has had 536,202 cases of coronavirus, 473,502 recoveries and 7,101 deaths.
Vaccination buses have begun rounds in the Varketili, Gldani and Station Square districts of Tbilisi today. A total of 10 vaccination buses will be on the road in Tbilisi, Georgian Health Minister Ekaterine Tikaradze announced today.
The Georgian government will offer incentives to the public to encourage them to get vaccinated against Covid-19, said Head of the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) Amiran Gamkrelidze today.
Georgia has reported 4,247 new cases of coronavirus, 3,053 recoveries and 74 deaths in the past 24 hours. In total, 45,100 tests have been conducted around the country of which 26,737 tests were rapid tests, while the remaining 18,363 were PCR tests. The National Center for Disease Control reports that as of August 28, a total of 1,122,209 vaccinations have been administered in the country.
Georgia has reported 2,669 new cases of coronavirus, 6,177 recoveries and 76 deaths in the past 24 hours. In total, 25,217 tests have been conducted around the country of which 15,027 tests were rapid tests, while the remaining 10,190 were PCR tests. Since February 26, 2020 Georgia has had 543,118 cases of coronavirus, 482,732 recoveries and 7,251 deaths.
More than thirteen per cent of Georgia’s adult population have been fully vaccinated as of August 29.