In June 2016, the State Audit Service published a report on 2015’s activities which addressed the significant growth in the amount of money given as a salary supplement in state organs. The Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia, Dimitri Kumsishvili, commented upon the report and stated: “I have not doubled anything and that is certain. The salary fund which I have had for years remains practically unchanged.”

FactCheck

took interest in the accuracy of the statement.

According to the Labour Code of Georgia, employee labour remuneration includes salary remuneration, bonuses and salary supplements as envisaged by the law. A bonus represents a form of financial encouragement for an employee. The amount of a bonus given to a public servant cannot exceed the employee’s labour remuneration and can be issued once in a quarter (but not more than three times during a year).

According to the conclusion of the State Audit Service, in light of the decreased amount of money given as “bonuses,” the amount of funds given as “supplements” significantly increased in 2015 as compared to 2014. However, the report of the State Audit Service does not include the labour remuneration issued in the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development. As a representative of the State Audit Service stated in his interview with FactCheck,

the labour remuneration given in the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development is still being studied.

According to the information of the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia, the amount of labour remuneration for Ministry employees has decreased by 8% (see Table 1) as compared to the previous year. As concerns this decrease, the amount of money issued as bonuses was cut by GEL 518,639 and the amount of money issued as supplements was cut by GEL 95,078.

Table 1: 

Amount of Labour Remuneration of Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia Employees

	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016 (5 months)
Salary remuneration	4,112,201	4,176,499	3,210,569	3,097,940	3,048,247	1,228,272
Bonus	1,644,575	1,751,431	1,036,316	1,846,672	1,328,033	454,507
Supplement	46,424	48,135	680,904	838,489	933,567	413,927
Total	5,756,776	5,976,065	4,927,789	5,783,101	5,309,847	2,096,706

Table 2: 

Amount of Labour Remuneration of Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia Ministers and Deputy Ministers, 2011-2016

	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016 (6 months)
Labour Remuneration	183,585	200,964	162,678	162,160	151,143	77,345
Bonus	207,000	226,430	45,055	106,710	48,880	24,730
Supplement	0	0	163,030	152,464	142,040	73,390
Total	390,585	427,394	370,763	421,334	342,063	175,465

 

In regard to the labour remuneration of the Ministry’s ministers and deputy ministers from 2011 until today, the total amount was at its least in 2015 and amounted to GEL 342,063. However, according to the figures for the first six months of 2016, we can assume that the total amount of labour remuneration for the minister and the deputy ministers will be higher this year as compared to 2015. In regard to bonuses and supplements, the amount of money for bonuses has been decreasing but salary supplements have been rising since 2013. However, the total amount of supplements and bonuses is almost equal.

Conclusion

The 2015 report of the State Audit Service does not include labour remuneration of Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia employees. According to the Ministry’s information, the amount of labour remuneration for its staff has been fluctuating annually without a specific trend of growth or decline being observed. Of note is that the amount of money issued as supplements has increased since 2013. In regard to bonuses, their amount dropped in 2013 whilst there has been a growth in the following years.

FactCheck concludes that Dimitri Kumsishvili’s statement is TRUE.