PM details $10.5bln budget for 2024:
How is it distributed over ministries?

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Friday provided detailed information about the 2024 state budget at the weekly Government meeting and shared how the figure would be distributed to different ministries and purposes.

• PM announces “strong” $10.5bln budget for 2024

Garibashvili said the budget of the Ministry of Education would be ₾2.5 billion ($0.92bln) - a 300 percent increase compared to 2012, when the current Government came into power.

Teachers' salaries will increase significantly in 2024. The salary of full-time teachers will increase by ₾500 ($184.18) or more on average. We have allocated an additional ₾160 million (58.94mln) for this purpose to the Ministry of Education”, Garibashvili said.

The Ministry of Economy will receive ₾800 million ($294.68mln) next year. Garibashvili said the Ministry would receive ₾326 million ($120mln) more compared to 2012.

The PM also said a total of ₾70 million ($25.78mln) would be provided for the construction of the Anaklia deep sea port in the north-west of the country, with ₾50 million ($18.42mln) of the sum to be invested in 2024 and ₾20 million ($7.37mln) allocated this year. 

We will announce the winning investor in December to January, and we will jointly start the construction of the Anaklia port in March to April 2024”, Garibashvili said.

The Government head said an additional ₾70 million would be allocated for the Ministry of Economy for construction of airports. 

Next year, ₾3.400 billion ($1.25bln) will be allocated for the Ministry of Infrastructure, up by 419 percent compared to 2012.

We have very interesting projects planned for 2024”, the Prime Minister said, pledging ”large-scale” works in 10 cities with ₾450 million ($165.76mln) distributed to municipalities. He also said Tbilisi would have a budget of ₾1.875 billion ($0.69bln).

The budget of Ministry of Health will be ₾7.8 billion ($2.87bln) next year - up by 325 from 2012 figures.

Funding for healthcare programmes has been increased, and next year, retirees will receive free medicines for chronic diseases throughout the year. This is about 400,000 pensioners, and this is certainly a very important benefit [...] Funding of early studies of oncology patients will also begin, which is associated with quite large costs”, Garibashvili said.

The PM announced the launch of a new programme to “gradually” provide housing to homeless families with many children. 

We will buy flats for up to 1,000 such families, and they will live in decent living conditions. This will be a two-year programme. We will start this programme next year and allocate ₾25 million ($9.21mln) for it, while the remaining ₾25 million will be allocated in 2025”, he said.

The pension for residents of highland settlements aged 70 and older will be nearly ₾500 ($184.18), with those under 70 to receive ₾400 ($147.34).

We made a decision to increase pensions for former police officers, servicemembers and representatives of special services. Until 2012, these people did not get any attention [from the authorities]. [Back then] ₾560 ($206.28) was the maximum limit of pension and this will now increase to ₾1,000 ($368.36)”, Garibashvili said.

Photo: Government Administration

The PM also pledged to increase the amount of money calculated for each year of service by 20 percent on average.

We also want to once again express our gratitude to families of those who died in the line of duty and from injuries - their compensation will be increased from ₾1,000 to ₾1,200 ($442)”, he added.

The PM also noted public servant salaries would increase by 10 percent again this year.

Over the past three years, the salaries of all public servants have increased by 30 percent, while for police officers and servicemembers [they have increased by] 45-50 percent”, he said.

The funding of law enforcement agencies will be increased by over ₾200 million ($73.67mln).

We will allocate an additional ₾10 million ($3.68mln) to the Ministry of Defence, and an additional ₾50 million ($18.42mln) to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, of which ₾20 million ($7.37mln) will be used for the purchase of fire and rescue vehicles and equipment”, Garibashvili said.

The official also shared plans for financing sports activities next year, announcing an additional ₾20 million would be allocated for the purpose, with ₾15 million ($5.53mln) used by sports federations and ₾5 million ($1.84mln) spent on increasing monthly scholarships for distinguished athletes, coaches and medical staff.

The 2024 budget also includes ₾125 million ($46mln) for holding elections using the new electronic technology.

The Government head was presenting the second version of the 2024 budget, set to be sent to the Parliament for final discussions and approval.