Transparency International Georgia requested public information from the Government of Adjara and subordinated institutions in order to establish the amounts spent in 2018-2019 on remuneration, bonuses and salary supplements, fuel, telephone communications, representation (hospitality) and business trips. Our organisation published a similar study in 2017, examining the data for 2015-2016.

As a result of the study, it was established that in 2018-2019 in total:

• 41,863,172.5 was spent on the remuneration of officials, professional civil servants and labour contract-based employees, which is 2.3 times more than in 2015-2016 (GEL 17,811,655);
• During the same years, GEL 928,907.86 was paid as bonuses and salary supplements, which is approximately 10 times less than the amount of bonuses and salary supplements paid in 2015-2016 (GEL 10,116,755);
• Costs of fuel allocated for auto transport amounted to GEL 905,421.54, which is approximately half the amount spent in 2015-2016 (GEL 1,947,271);
• 288,395 was spent on telephone communications;
• 446,502.84 was allocated for representation expenses;
• During this period, business trip costs amounted to GEL 986,854.06, which exceeds the 2015-2016 amount (GEL 782,509) by approximately GEL 205,000.

1. Remuneration of political officials, professional civil servants and labour contract-based employees

In 2018-2019, GEL 41,863,172.50 was spent on remuneration of officials, professional civil servants and labour contract-based employees of the Government of Adjara and subordinated institutions, which is approximately 2.3 times more than the amount spent in 2015-2016 (GEL 17,811,655). This includes the remuneration of officials and professional civil servants in the amount of GEL 22,628,030.81 and the remuneration of permanent employees in the amount of GEL 19,235,141.71.

Figure 1.1.

Figure 1.2.

The salaries paid to contract-based employees of the Administration of the Government of Adjara in 2019 exceeded the amount paid in 2018 by approximately GEL 124,000.

In 2018, there were 45 contract-based employees in the Administration of the Government of Adjara. In 2019, this number increased to 47. In 2019, the positions of electrician, consultant and Information Technologies coordinator were removed from the list of non-staff employees. However, the following positions were created: media relations manager for the chairperson of the Government; analyst of projects and investments of the Government Administration; advisor to the head of the Government Administration; and consultant to the Government Administration in the issues of infrastructure. The combined amount of salaries for these positions was GEL 48,852.93 in 2019.

2. Bonuses and salary supplements

In 2018-2019, the Government of Adjara and subordinated institutions paid out bonuses and salary supplements which amounted to the total of GEL 928,907.86, which is approximately 10 times less than the amount paid out in 2015-2016 (GEL 10,116,755).

Figure 2.1.

The difference in the amount of bonuses and salary supplements paid out by the Administration of the Government of Adjara in 2018 and 2019 is caused by the fact that in 2019, compared with the previous year, four more employees received bonuses while the amount of bonuses approximately doubled compared to the year before.

The amount of bonuses and salary supplements increased at the Ministry of Agriculture, too. Compared to the previous year, many more employees received bonuses compared to the previous year, furthermore, a greater number of bonuses was paid out.

At the Ministry of Finance and Economy as well as at the Ministry of Health and Social Care, the size of each bonus in 2019 decreased compared to the previous year.

3. Costs of fuel allocated for auto transport

The cost of fuel allocated for auto transport in 2018-2019 amounted to GEL 905,421.54, which is approximately half the amount spent in 2015-2016 (GEL 1,947,271).

Figure 3.1.

In 2019, the Roads Department spent almost GEL 22,000 more on fuel than in 2018. The reason for this could be the price of fuel, increase in the number of vehicles and buying more fuel.

4. Telecommunication costs

In 2018-2019, the costs of telecommunication services amounted to GEL 288,395.

Figure 4.1.

5. Representation costs

In 2018-2019, GEL 446,502.84 was allocated for representation (hospitality) expenses.

Figure 5.1.

In 2019, the representation expenses of the Administration of the Government of Adjara increased significantly as the value of presents purchased that year was greater than the value of presents purchased in 2018.

The Ministry of Finance and Economy did not provide us with detailed information about its representation expenses. Representation expenses of the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sport increased in 2019 due to the increased number of purchased presents, guests and official dinner receptions.

The Department of Tourism and Resorts in 2019 held the event ICCA & UNWTO Masterclass On Meetings Industry which cost the department GEL 5,793. This also increased the department’s representation costs.

6. Business trip expenses

In 2018-2019, business trip expenses amounted to GEL 986,854.06 which is more by approximately GEL 205,000 than in 2015-2016 (GEL 782,509).

Figure 6.1.

Compared to 2018, the business trip expenses of the Department of Tourism and Resorts increased in 2019: while in 2018, the staff of the department had 53 domestic and 56 international business trips, in 2019 this number increased to 54 and 64 respectively.

The difference in the business trip expenses of the Administration of the Government of Adjara is striking: in 2018, the staff of the Administration of the Government of Adjara had 297 domestic and 21 international business trips; in 2019, the numbers increased to 401 domestic and 29 international business trips.

Compared to 2018, the number of domestic business trips for the Ministry of Agriculture in 2019 increased by 49 (295 business trips) and the number of international business trips increased by 13 (19 business trips).