On 25 January 2015, Transparency International – Georgia published its research regarding the purchases of vehicles by the government in the last few years. According to the research, the total expenditures incurred by the government for the purchase of new vehicles in the period 2013-2015 equalled GEL 147 million. The Ministry of Labour, Health and Social Affairs is in second place in terms of money spent on the purchase of new vehicles. In total, the Ministry spent GEL 10.8 million for vehicles.

The Minister of Labour, Health and Social Affairs of Georgia, Davit Sergeenko, made the following comment on the aforementioned publication: "Since 2012, the Ministry has not purchased new vehicles for personal or business use." The Minister also clarified that his Ministry allocated GEL 10.5 million to top up the ambulance vehicle pool in Georgia.

FactCheck

took interest in this topic and verified its accuracy.

According to the information obtained from the Ministry of Labour, Health and Social Affairs of Georgia, the Ministry did not purchase a single vehicle in 2013 or in 2015. However, within the framework of theMedical Establishment Rehabilitation and Equipment Programme, the Ministry purchased 180 new ambulances through tender for the amount of GEL 10.7 million. These vehicles were transferred under the ownership of the Ambulance Service Centre. The ambulance vehicle pool was topped up throughout the whole of the country. In 2014, the Ministry also purchased four off-road vehicles for the amount of GEL 126,000 and transferred them to the Ambulance Service Centre’s ownership as well. Of these, three vehicles are business vehicles and one is a personal vehicle. The Ministry did not purchase any other vehicles in 2014.

The process of topping up the ambulance vehicle pool for the Ambulance Service Centre was launched in October 2014. One hundred off-road Volkswagen and 80 Ford vehicles were transferred to regional locations of the Ambulance Service Centre.

Conclusion                              

In 2014, the Ministry of Labour, Health and Social Affairs purchased 180 ambulance vehicles for GEL 10.7 million and four compact vehicles for GEL 126,000. Of those four vehicles, three are business cars and one is for personal use.  All of these vehicles have been purchased within the framework of the Medical Establishment Rehabilitation and Equipment Programme and were transferred under the ownership of the Ambulance Service Centre thereafter.

It is clear that the Ministry of Labour, Health and Social Affairs has indeed not purchased a single vehicle for business or personal use. Approximately GEL 10.8 million, allocated from the state budget, was spent to top up the ambulance vehicle pool.

Therefore, according to FactCheck, Davit Sergeenko’s statement: "Since 2012, the Ministry of Labour, Health and Social Affairs has not purchased a single vehicle for personal or business use," is TRUE.