(Tbilisi, July 16, 2003, Civil Georgia) – Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Defense and Security Irakli Batiashvili said today at the Parliamentary special session that the further cutting of the funds to the defense bodies will cause “irrevocable damage of the Georgian armed forces.”
As a result of the IMF’s recommendations Georgian government intends to cut budgetary expenditures to close a fiscal gap.
MP Irakli Batiashvili said that the Defense Ministry is already underfunded by 12 million in the first half of the 2003 and further cutting of the expenditures would be inadmissible.
“At the meeting of the Parliamentary Committee on Defense and Security, Defense Minister Davit Tevzadze said that he withdraws responsibility for the processes that might take place in the army in case of further lack of finances,” Irakli Batiashvili said.
On behalf of the Committee Batiashvili called the President to dismiss those high officials responsible for the budgetary shortfall.
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