Georgia plans to introduce new rules for receiving foreign grants
Foreign grants in Georgia
According to Interpressnews, Georgia’s one-party parliament is set to consider a new bill that would require government approval in order to receive a foreign grant.
In addition, political parties and individuals declaring their electoral intentions will no longer be allowed to organise lectures, seminars, or other similar public events with the support of foreign organisations.
International organisations, in turn, will also be prohibited from organising lectures, seminars, or other public events for political parties.
The new grant law will be enforced by the Anti-Corruption Bureau. Receiving a grant without government “approval” will result in a fine equal to twice the amount of the grant in question.
Exemptions from the new rule include: grants awarded by international sports associations, federations, and committees; individual scholarships for secondary and higher education or academic research abroad; and grants received by international organisations operating in Georgia.
Archil Gorduladze, a member of the ruling Georgian Dream party, explained the initiative by saying that the state must be able to control the transfer of foreign funds.
“Any self-respecting country not only has the right, but the obligation to protect itself, its interests, and its people from blatant external interference. The legislative changes initiated by our team are precisely about that. When money is transferred from abroad to our country, the state must, of course, have the ability to monitor and assess how these funds are being spent,” Gorduladze said on Imedi TV.
