Georgian Gov't Administration Head says strengthening civil initiatives must be matter of state interest

Levan Zhorzholiani, the Head of the Georgian Government Administration, on Wednesday said that the strengthening of civil initiatives in the country had to be a matter of state interest, noting that the sectors for which grants had been issued included education, environmental protection, and support for persons with disabilities.

In his remarks, Zhorzholiani noted that each project would receive a grant of up to ₾100,000 ($36,978.81)

“Through the Grant Agency, we will actively monitor and evaluate how beneficial these grants will be for specific sectors or for the people affected by these projects. In total, the budget amounts to ₾1.65 million, and up to 17 projects have been funded. There was quite a high level of activity from organizations, which is very welcome”, Zhorzholiani said.

He noted that the main sectors for which the grants were issued included education, civil equality, and environmental protection.

“The Agency paid special attention to persons with disabilities and projects tailored to their needs. This is also a priority for us. Interesting studies in the fields of healthcare and environmental protection have also been funded. We will see what results these directions bring. Strengthening civil initiatives in the country should be a matter of state interest. This is common practice in all EU countries, where the state finances specific civil initiatives. This should reflect, first and foremost, what the state's priorities are. Accordingly, the funded projects include, for example, support for minors with autism spectrum disorders, educational initiatives, and environmental research”, he concluded.