Georgian gov't vows to offer jobs to citizens fit to work instead of social assistance
Based on the Social Service Agency a total of 633,000 people receive social assistance in the country as of October 2021 and the amount of cash benefits surpasses 43 million GEL (about $13,817,480/€12,226,676). Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge.
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The Georgian government will present a programme in the upcoming weeks which will provide socially vulnerable citizens who are fit for work with jobs instead of social assistance, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili said today.
Today, able-bodied socially vulnerable citizens are not motivated to start new jobs for fear that the state will remove social assistance thereafter,” Garibashvili said.
He noted that it is concerning that these people are not motivated to improve their living conditions, adding that the state ‘must take bold and effective steps.’
Garibashvili announced that a public jobs programme will be created in order to replace social assistance with job offers for citizens fit for work. Photo: Georgian Government Administration.
We have started working on it with members of the government, and I believe that in the next few weeks we will present to the public a programme that has been tested and proved to be the right vision in successful European countries,” said Garibashvili.
The programme will be headed by Georgian Agriculture Minister Levan Davitashvili who underscored that the ‘PM’s initiative will activate the able-bodied population, involving them in public activities in order to improve their social status.’
Through the new initiative of the PM, we will be able to improve many social issues in the country. This is the best experience and practice that many Central or Eastern European countries have successfully implemented,” Davitashvili said.
He also emphasised that about 240,000-250,000 people are fit for work in Georgia who receive social assistance and added that the income of these people should increase and their qualifications should be improved through the programme.
Based on the Social Service Agency a total of 633,000 people receive social assistance in the country as of October 2021 and the amount of cash benefits surpasses 43 million GEL (about $13,817,480/€12,226,676).