Funding for non-governmental organizations and development projects in Georgia has declined sharply in recent years, according to Levan Avaliani, Director of Programs at the Institute for Development of Freedom of Information (IDFI). Speaking on TV-program Business Course, he attributed the decline to laws adopted by the Georgian Dream government, including the so-called “Russian law,” FARA-related legislation and restrictions on grants.
Avaliani said a number of organizations have closed, while others have significantly reduced their activities or stopped implementing projects. He claimed that the NGO sector now performs only around 10-15% of the work it previously did, affecting areas including civic oversight and human rights. He added that IDFI alone was unable to pursue around 30 cases following the freezing of its assets.
According to Avaliani, the decline has also affected development programs and funding that benefited the wider economy and state institutions. He said programs had previously received support from the EU and the governments of Sweden, Norway and Denmark, while the state itself also received direct grants for reforms and various programs.
Avaliani said direct grants to the state budget had reached GEL 300-400 million annually in previous years, including around GEL 420 million during the COVID-19 period. He argued that the loss of such funding has affected not only NGOs but also Georgia’s public finances and development programs.
