Tbilisi, December 22, 2008 – TI Georgia welcomes the step taken by the Ministry of Finance by publishing the Donor Support Matrix on its official website today. This matrix contains information on the distribution of international financial aid allocated for Georgia after the military conflict between Russia and Georgia in August 2008.

At the donors’ conference on October 22 this year, 38 countries and 15 international organizations pledged to allocate about USD 4.5 billion for Georgia in the next three years. At that time, TI Georgia criticized the fact that the process of elaboration of the Joint Needs Assessment document, which was submitted to the conference and had been prepared with the participation of the Georgian government and several donor organizations, was closed to the public at large.

‘This time, the Ministry of Finance has taken an important step towards increasing the transparency of international aid allocated for Georgia,’ said Tamuna Karosanidze, Executive Director of TI Georgia. ‘It’s reassuring to see that the Ministry of Finance is trying to contribute to transparency in the use of the aid and to the enhancement of the government’s accountability in this process.’

In December, TI Georgia prepared a report on the availability of information on the distribution and spending of the aid, in which it called on the Ministry of Finance to carry out a more active information campaign in this regard. ‘This response of the Ministry of Finance to our report demonstrates that constructive mutual cooperation between the authorities and the civil society can significantly improve the transparency of and supervision on the use of the aid,’ said Tamuna Karosanidze. ‘TI Georgia will continue to work with donors, governmental and non-governmental organizations, and other stakeholders to contribute to the enhancement of transparency, accountability, and, accordingly, effectiveness of the aid allocated for Georgia.’

Contact Details

Tamuna Karosanidze

Executive Director of TI Georgia

tamuna@transparency.ge [1]

Tel.: (+995 32) 92 14 03 or 99 93 35

TI Georgia has fought against corruption and worked for the enhancement of the level of accountability and strengthening democracy in Georgiasince 2000. TI Georgia is a non-governmental, impartial organization that is legally registered in Tbilisi. As a national branch of Transparency International, TI Georgia is an independent organization. The organization does not have any financial links with or accountability to the International Secretariat in Berlin, although it can make use of the International Secretariat’s experience in and knowledge of the fight against corruption around the world.

Useful links

Matrix of the Ministry of Finance

http://www.mof.ge/Default.aspx?sec_id=3212&lang=2 [2]

Database of TI Georgia on the financial aid pledged and allocated to Georgia (December 2008)

http://www.transparency.ge/index.php?lang_id=GEO&sec_id=215&info_id=469 [3]

Public opinion survey conducted by TI Georgia about international financial aid (December 2008)

http://www.transparency.ge/index.php?lang_id=GEO&sec_id=215&info_id=463 [4]

Report of TI Georgia on the transparency of international financial aid (December 2008)

http://www.transparency.ge/index.php?lang_id=GEO&sec_id=215&info_id=453 [5]

Press release of TI Georgia about the donors’ conference in Brussels (October 2008)

http://www.transparency.ge/index.php?lang_id=GEO&sec_id=50600&info_id=438 [6]