UNDP, Soros Fund Salaries for Georgian Officials
Capacity Building Fund (CBF), set up with the financial assistance of the UNDP and billionaire philanthropist George Soros, to support governance reforms in Georgia, launches activity and will provide salaries to the Georgian officials.
In a joint news conference with Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili at the World Economic Forum on January 22, UNDP Administrator Mark Malloch Brown and George Soros announced the creation of a CBF.
“In total, 5 thousand state officials will receive salary from this fund. However, main attention will be focused on the employees of the law-enforcement agencies,” Director of the Fund Kote Kublashvili told Civil Georgia.
The President of Georgia, the Parliamentary Chairperson and the Prime Minister will receive USD 1500 each, while the Ministers, the Secretary of the National Security Council and the Prosecutor General will have USD 1200 per month.
USD 2 million is allocated in the fund at the moment. Kublashvili said that the this sum is enough for two months. “However, talks are underway with other donor organizations and we will receive additional funding,” he added.
Georgian officials hope that by 2007 Georgia’s budget will be able to finance increased salaries independently without donors’ assistance.
Kote Kublashvili said that the first salaries from the fund will be distributed from early April.
