The Georgian government will start issuing grants to local NGOs and media outlets. A special fund will be established for this purpose, Prime Minister of the Republic Irakli Kobakhidze said. Only those organizations that have registered in the register of foreign agents will be able to receive the grant.
The decision to create the fund is related to threats that foreign investors will stop funding organizations and media if they register in the register in accordance with the law "On the transparency of foreign influence".
"Against this background and in general, based on the interests of the country, we decided to create a grant program for Georgian NGOs, which will be fully financed from the Georgian state budget at the expense of Georgian taxpayers",
Irakli Kobakhidze said.
It is planned that the first grants will be issued in early 2025.
Currently, more than 450 NGOs and media outlets are registered as foreign agents.
What is the law on foreign agents in Georgia?
The law "On transparency of foreign influence" obliges non-governmental organizations and media outlets to disclose the sources of their funding, provided that the share of foreign inflows is more than 20%. They must also register in a special register of the Ministry of Justice. Organizations from this list will have to submit declarations every year.
