Vice Speaker Volski: public must know what funds enter country, how they are spent, otherwise it’s ‘black money’

First Vice Speaker of the Georgian Parliament Giorgi Volski on Saturday said the public must be fully informed about what funds enter the country and how they are spent, warning that otherwise such money constitutes “black money”.

Volski made the remarks while commenting on the European Commission’s decision to allocate €8 billion for non-governmental organisations. He stressed that the Government does not oppose funding for its programmes and, on the contrary, welcomes all forms of assistance, including support provided through NGO programmes.

He noted around 600 or more NGOs have registered under the transparency law, and all organisations are required to submit financial reports to both the state and the public, including those that have moved their registration and accounts abroad.

Commenting on criticism from Marta Kos, EU Commissioner for Enlargement, and what he described as “other individuals who are hostile toward Georgia,” Volski said that despite such criticism, the state will continue to counter attempts to bring in unaccounted funds using laws and systems that are standard practice in developed democracies.

“We stand firmly on this principle and will not retreat from it, regardless of criticism from Marta Kos or others,” Volski said. “There is a system and there is a law, and we must abide by it, just as in any EU country.”

Volski described Kos’s statements as alarming, claiming they imply that black money should be brought in and that ways should be found to finance NGOs without oversight. He said this represents a serious problem, but one the state will address through existing legal mechanisms.

He also warned against attempts to use such funds to support extremist activities, referring to incidents previously seen on the streets of Tbilisi. Volski added that while USAID had suspended funding for what he called a “destructive scenario,” the European Union had taken over this role, despite the ongoing situation in Ukraine.