The Dilis Gazeti
(Georgian Press Digest. Civil Georgia. 19.12.01) – One-week mission of the International Monetary Fund with the leadership of David Owen in Georgia is over today. Consensus Georgian economic team and the IMF reached looks the following way: the income part of 2002 budget of Georgia equals to 1.65 billion GEL, the Dilis Gazeti reports and goes on to say that this amount of taxes can be paid only after changes in the tax codex.
“Budget of 2002 was announced realistic just like the budgets of 2001 and other years were announced earlier”, the paper says. By the way, absolutely every year budget of last eight years was sequestered.
“The IMF demands that the income part be planned moderately for it to be “completed”, but the economic sphere ministries are optimistic and plan the maximum of income”, the Dilis Gazeti says.
The IMF will have a discussion about the expense part of the budget with the Finance Ministry today.
The Dilis Gazeti talks about the budget of 2001 also. It says the budget, which was sequestered twice already is expected to have a gap of 150 million GEL. This amount will automatically be added to the budget of 2002.
As to approving of the budget, no one as well as the IMF thinks that the budget of 2002 will be approved in the Parliament this year, the paper says.