Georgia PM vows government funding for 'foreign agent' NGOs
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The Georgian government has two months to implement the essential institutional and financial measures to ensure operation, highlighting that the initial grants are expected from January 2025.
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Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze speaks to the media at a party congress in Tbilisi, Georgia on February 1, 2024. (AFP)
The Georgian government aims to establish a fund to provide financial aid to non-governmental organizations (NGOs) registered as "agents of foreign influence," Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze announced on Monday.
"Some particular donors are threatening to stop funding of many non-governmental organizations, if they apply to register," he told reporters, adding, "We have made a decision to launch a grant program for Georgian NGOs that will be financed from the state budget."
The prime minister said that the government has two months to implement the essential institutional and financial measures to ensure the fund's smooth operation, highlighting that the initial grants are expected from January 2025.
NGOs must disclose funding sources
The Georgian legislation mandates that non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and media entities receiving over 20% of their funding from abroad register as entities serving the interests of a foreign power.
The law, named "On Transparency of Foreign Influence," was supported by 84 MPs in the 150-member Parliament with 30 voting against it, requiring these groups to register in the public registry and disclose their funding sources.
The ruling Georgian Dream Party asserts its commitment to EU integration and stresses that the law aims to enhance transparency regarding NGO funding.
The law has sparked significant debate and criticism, with opponents arguing it could stifle civil society and independent media, while supporters claim it is necessary for national security and transparency.
Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili vetoed the law, describing it as "Russian" and "unconstitutional."
The bill calls for compiling a list of people and organizations that receive funding from overseas, which sparked widespread protests and concerns among the opposition, alleging that this lawl allows the government to suppress the work of NGOs and activists in the country.
