'They want to strip people of access to free aid' – opinion from Georgia

Amendments to Law on Grants in Georgia

Saba Brachveli, a lawyer at the Open Society Foundation, believes that the amendments to the Law on Grants, initiated by the Georgian government and Georgian Dream, deprive the Georgian people of access to free aid.

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The ruling Georgian Dream party has introduced a bill requiring government approval for receiving foreign grants.

Compliance with the law would be overseen by the Anti-Corruption Bureau. Accepting a grant “without permission” would result in a fine double the amount of the grant in question.

Saba Brachveli:

“The government presents these amendments as restrictions for donors. In reality, they deprive the Georgian people of access to free aid. For instance, legal assistance that NGOs have long provided to citizens at no cost.

Now, Georgian Dream will block funding for any organisation it deems ‘suspicious’ — those working in human rights, anti-corruption, and similar areas.

This means that if you’re in a land dispute, if your employer fires you unfairly, or if a police officer harasses you, instead of getting free legal help, you’ll either have to hire a private lawyer and spend a fortune — or just accept it. And this won’t only apply to legal aid, but to all areas funded by grants.

That’s the core of these amendments — a ban-like filter imposed on the Georgian people. The government wants to decide for them.”

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Amendments to Law on Grants in Georgia