The Parliament has urgently considered and approved a legislative package in the third reading, after which international donor organizations will no longer be able to issue grants without the consent of the government. The same bill prohibits international organizations from organizing lectures, seminars or other similar public events in favor of political parties.
80 deputies unanimously supported the approval of the planned amendments to the Law on Political Associations of Citizens, the Law on Grants and other related laws.
Regarding the grant-related initiative, receiving a foreign grant will require the consent of the government or an authorized person designated by the government — accepting a grant without such consent will be prohibited and will entail liability.
The Anti-Corruption Bureau will be responsible for monitoring the issuance and receipt of prohibited grants. Receiving a prohibited grant will result in the recipient being fined double the amount of the grant.
The bill also outlines exceptions — specifically, the rule requiring mandatory government approval does not apply to grants issued by international sports associations, federations, and committees; nor does it apply to individual scholarships granted for obtaining secondary or higher education or conducting scientific work outside the borders of Georgia.
