TI Georgia Criticizes 2026 Budget for Salary Gaps and Spending Choices
By Liza Mchedlidze
Tuesday, December 9, 2025
Transparency International Georgia (TI Georgia) publishes an analysis of the 2026 state budget and raises concerns about income inequality and spending priorities.
The organization says the Prime Minister's salary in 2026 will be 16,000 GEL, "43 times higher than that of pensioners." Pensions for people under 70 will increase by only 20 GEL to 370 GEL, while those for people over 70 will rise by 45 GEL to 495 GEL.
The report notes that the budget relies heavily on debt. "Such an increase in revenues will be driven by new debt and higher tax revenues," it says. Government debt is expected to reach 38.2 billion GEL by the end of 2026, or 33.5 percent of GDP.
TI Georgia says the number of employees in government organizations will grow by 166, mostly in the Prosecutor's Office, Audit Service, Ministry of Internal Affairs, and Ministry of Finance. At the same time, six departments will be abolished, including the Anti-Corruption Bureau and Special Investigation Service. Staffing will also decrease in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Education.
The report criticizes capital spending decisions. Overall capital expenditure will fall by 565 million GEL to 6.1 billion GEL. The Ministry of Health will receive an increase of 849 million GEL, and defense and security spending will rise by 486 million GEL. Funding for highways, education infrastructure, and the Anaklia deep-sea port will be reduced.
Foreign grants are expected to total 85 million GEL, mostly for energy projects. Only one government grant is included, 30 million GEL from Germany.
Transparency International concludes that the 2026 budget "shows significant gaps between political salaries and pensions," depends heavily on debt, and reduces staff in agencies that support Georgia's European and Euro-Atlantic integration.
