Information about salaries, bonuses, business trip and vehicle expenses and similar types of public information can be viewed at new websitewww.opendata.ge.
The database also includes information about the government officials' property declarations, state acquisitions and tenders, events financed by government, reserve funds and budgets of the ministries.
During the presentation of the website in Tbilisi Marriot hotel held on December 16 the authors of the project named Office of State Minister for Reintegration and Ministry of Regional Development and Infrastructure the most transparent government agencies. However, most government agencies failed to fully answer the questionnaires sent to them. Ministry of Education and Science, Ministry of Refugees and Accommodation and Ministry of Interior didn't provide public information despite their legal obligation to do so. President's Administration also didn't answer the request of Institute for Development of Freedom of Information to submit information on the Administration's salaries, bonuses and other similar types of data.
The website was created under Public Information Database project by nongovernmental organization Institute for Development of Freedom of Information and funded by Open Society Georgia Foundation.
According to the project manager Levan Avalishvili, it would be good if ministries would constantly submit information to the regularly renewed database so that the organization doesn't have to demand information from each and every agency. He also said that one of the goals of the project is to show public which ministry shows more responsibility when carrying out its duties: "Information that is published by our website is accessible for every citizen of Georgia anyway. People can save some time by using our website". - Levan Avalishvili says.
Editor of newspaper Kartlis Khma (Gori) Saba Tsitsikashvili agrees with that sentiment. Tsitsikashvili believes that the new website is an important source of information for any journalist. According to him, the fact that journalists will not have to apply to agencies for public information, wait for months for that information and appeal the decisions in courts anymore is good news.
Representatives of government also attended the presentation. According to representative of Ministry of Justice Bachana Shengelia, such projects are necessary as they ensure transparency of government and establishment of democratic institutions.
"Of course we're ready for cooperation and we're ready to answer any question in any format" - Bachana Shengelia told media.ge.
The data published on the website are currently based only on the official data supplied by ministries. However, in future NGOs and citizens can also supply this kind of information.
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