Responding to high public interest towards government spending, Transparency International Georgia looked into representative expenses of the last 5 years, i.e. official receptions and dinners, parties and events, excursions and cultural events. The public and the media frequently question whether these expenses are justified.
The decision to change the work schedule made by the management of the Georgian Public Broadcaster (GPB) is ambiguous and raises questions with regard to transparency of the process and possible discriminatory treatment of individual employees.
Georgia’s national government and the Government of the Autonomous Republic of Ajara have established a flawed practice which prevents the media from attending government sessions. This imposes significant restrictions on the work of journalists aimed at obtaining information and controlling the authorities and is a backslide in terms of the openness and accountability of the government.
* 2017 includes data as of October 2017
Transparency International Georgia responds to the recent frequent assaults on journalists. According to the representatives of the TV Obiektivi, their journalist and crew were attacked on March 20 while shooting one of the construction sites.
Following the “Georgian Dream’s” coming into power after the 2012 Parliamentary elections, the number of employees at Public Relations (PR) departments of government institutions and their remuneration has significantly increased.