Opposition Slams 2006 Draft Budget

The opposition parliamentary factions Democratic Front and Rightist Opposition slammed the 2006 draft budget at the Parliament?s plenary session on December 7 calling it ?obscure? and ?non-transparent.?  
 
Chairman of the Democratic Front Davit Zurabishvili said that the opposition casts doubts over GEL 505 million (USD 280.5 million) envisaged for, as the draft says, ?other goods and services,? and the draft does not give a detailed list of those needs for which this GEL 505 million will be spent.
 
?This triggers our well-founded doubts that the authorities plan to use the budgetary funds for its campaign ahead of the local self-governance elections planned in 2006,? Zurabishvili said at the Parliament?s session on December 7.

Opposition is also critical about defense expenditures, because the draft budget also does not give a very detailed list of those needs for which GEL 392.2 million (USD 217,8 million), envisaged for the Ministry of Defense, will be spent.
 
Finance Minister Aleksi Alexishvili denied the opposition?s allegations, saying that ?it is impossible to describe budgetary expenditures more thoroughly.?
 
According to the draft budget for 2006, revenues for next year are set at GEL 2.9 billion (approximately USD 1.6 billion), while expenditures – at GEL 3.2 billion (approximately USD 1.7 billion).

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