Beso Namchavadze, Chief Economist of Transparency International Georgia, has described the 2026 state budget as “very much like a non-election budget.” Speaking on BMGTV, he highlighted that the 31 billion GEL budget does not include a sharp increase in social spending, signaling a departure from the pre-election spending patterns of previous years.
Namchavadze pointed to the discontinuation of the social work employment program as an example. Pension increases are modest, with pensions for those under 70 rising by 20 GEL to 370 GEL, and for those over 70 by 45 GEL to 495 GEL, adhering strictly to formula-based growth tied to economic indicators rather than political timing.
The economist contrasted these restrained social allocations with the increases in top official salaries, including the Prime Minister, President, and Speaker of Parliament, suggesting that the government is not using social spending to influence voters this time. He interprets this as a sign that the ruling party might no longer rely on social handouts to secure support.
Namchavadze also noted a significant rise in security spending, with allocations for the police, defense, prosecutor’s office, and State Security Service increasing by 500 million GEL, indicating that security and enforcement are a higher priority than social programs in the 2026 budget.
