The Ministries have Illegally Appropriated 10 Million GEL

The Alia

“Almost every minister complains that the state budget does not give them the money essential for their work; if not our poor special sources (non-budgetary income) we would not be existing now, they say. But in reality these poor special sources form income of dozens of thousand GEL. According to the experts, the majority of special sources are illegal”, the Alia states.

According to the resolution of the Anticorruption Commission, the ministries have 10 million GEL on their account. The money is illegal and it is taken from common citizens.

The special sources, which are taxes paid by the population of Georgia, goes not to the state budget but to the accounts of particular Ministry departments. A minister is the only one regulating where the money should go. It is never given out in salaries.

The Ministry of Economics, Trade and Industry has five sources of non-budgetary income. According to the Commission, only one of them is legal. It has produced 192 536 GEL during 6 months of 2001.

The condition in the Justice Ministry is also alarming, the newspaper assumes. The Ministry has 9 non-budgetary sources of income, only 5 of which is legal. 252 297 GEL was transmitted to its account during the above-mentioned time period.

The State Security Ministry has received 16 487 GEL. According to the Commission, all of the money is legal.

The Interior Ministry has 9 sources of non-budgetary profits. None of them is legal. The department has accumulated 6 640 165 GEL during the above-mentioned period of time.

The Control Palate will study the information of Anticorruption Commission. It is thought that the special sources might be canceled completely. But the newspaper is doubts that the particular Ministries will be responsible for the millions appropriated illegally.