Azernews.Az

By Sabina Idayatova

Secretary General of the United National Movement Vano Merabishvili has accused the government of wasting 80 million lari ($ 1 = 1.66 lari).

The government has squandered 80 million lari just when realizing one program on granting agricultural cards, he told local media on Thursday.

"I accuse the government of Georgia of misappropriating 80 million lari from the state budget and demand returning of the money to Georgian farmers, because this is the amount of money, which they have failed to get," Merabishvili said.

He said the government did not take into consideration the recommendations to allow the farmers withdraw cash from banks by submitting the vouchers distributed within the agriculture development program.

Consequently, the process grew into a corruption scheme, which resulted in a machination for which several employs of the ministry of agriculture were arrested, he said.

Merabishvili further said that the National Movement advances the initiative to compensate this amount, by distributing 120-lari vouchers to the population until the fall, and with it, allow them to cash out the money in the bank.

According to Merabishvili, if the farmers were originally given an opportunity to cash the vouchers, then the set of problems and speculation would have been initially prevented.

"According to our estimates, the population has lost at least 30 percent, because the farm equipment and other facilities in specialized stores, where stamps could be merchandised, are more expensive than in other stores," he said.