By Mariam Zamtaradze and Ani Letodiani
Photo By: Mariam Zamtaradze
TBILISI, Dec 20 (Tbilisi Times) - According to the latest report from the Governance Monitoring Center (GMC), Georgia has spent over eight million GEL for New Year's decorations, surpassing leading European nations in festive spending. Liza Qoridze, a researcher at GMC, shed light on their annual investigation into Christmas and New Year celebrations within the country.
New Year Tree 2023 in Tbilisi front of Parliament of Georgia
"Each year, our examination delves into Georgia's festivities, a significant expense that exceeds a million laris, as footed by the Tbilisi City Hall," said Qoridze in an exclusive interview.
Liza Qoridze, Researcher of GMC
Highlighting the intricacies of their research, she emphasized the City Hall's engagements with multiple companies for celebrations, often involving streamlined documentation that elevates the potential for corruption. The festive season traditionally spans from December 15 to January 7, with Tbilisi City Hall and Tbilisi City Company collectively spending over seven million GEL last year. This year, their budget has escalated to approximately 10.5 million GEL.
"City enterprises initiate tenders for various facets, including electricity, decorations, and more, several months preceding the New Year,” said Qoridze. “Last year's expenditure surpassed seven million lari, with this year's projected to exceed 10.5 million lari."
With further elaboration on the allocations, Qoridze said the two million GEL has been set aside for fireworks, stages, screens, and associated equipment. Additionally, six electricity tenders were announced, totaling 2.5 million GEL, which also includes funding for a new Christmas tree following the incident of tree burnings in 2022.
The GMC researcher also talked about the scrutiny of spending by other Georgian municipalities, highlighting Kharagauli, Borjomi, and Ozurgeti as the top spenders, collectively investing over 4.5 million GEL. To gain broader insights, GMC reached out to three European capitals—Prague, Helsinki, and Vilnius—revealing their significantly lower expenditures on Christmas and New Year celebrations. Prague allocated 301,000 euros, Helsinki increased its budget from 130,000 euros last year to 150,000 euros this year, and Vilnius surpassed 200,000 euros in expenditure.
Shota Rustaveli Street Decoration for New Year 2023
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