Verdict: FactCheck concludes that Levan Khabeishvili’s statement is MOSTLY TRUE.

Resume:

In accordance with the decree of the Mayor of Tbilisi issued on 26 December 2017, the number of personnel hired by employment contracts (to 31 December 2018) increased by 25 and the amount of their salaries was also determined.

In the same month, Tbilisi City Hall announced vacancies for several positions. The labour remuneration for the announced vacancies fluctuated between GEL 3,500 to GEL 5,600 which indeed exceeds the labour remuneration of the Mayor of Tbilisi (GEL 3,100).

Of note is that in accordance with the terms and conditions of the vacancies, individuals for the open positions were going to be selected through a simplified competition which fully corresponds to the law (a candidate for the public service under an employment contract is selected through a simplified competition).

In regard to advertising information and activities related to Tbilisi City Hall’s work on the Facebook social network, Facebook service was purchased under simplified procurement pursuant to the Mayor’s decree. To this end, GEL 13,841 and USD 50,000; that is, a total of GEL 145,841 was allocated from the Dissemination of Information of Public Importance budget line (code 07.02.04).

Analysis Tbilisi City Council United National Movement faction representative, Levan Khabeishvili, stated

on TV Pirveli: “The Mayor of Tbilisi, Kakha Kaladze, hired people for adviser positions on 20 December 2017 without any competition whatsoever with the salaries of these people constituting GEL 4,000, 5,200 and 5,600. All of the advisers have salaries twice as large as the Mayor himself because the Mayor’s official salary amounts to GEL 3,100. In addition, the Mayor has spent USD 60,000 (GEL 145,500) for PR.”

On 26 December 2017, in accordance with the ordinance of Tbilisi City Hall, the number of people hired under employment contracts (to 31 December 2018) increased by 25 and the amount of their salaries was also determined. In the same month Tbilisi City Hall announced vacancies for several positions:  Media Relations Specialist with a salary of GEL 3,500, Adviser to the PR Service with a salary of GEL 5,600, Adviser to the Mayor in Organisational Issues with a salary of GEL 4,000, Adviser in Media Relations with a salary of GEL 5,200 and Adviser

to the Mayor in Strategic Projects with a salary of GEL 5,600.

The Law

on Public Service governs the appointment of an individual to a vacant position of the public service. In accordance with the law, an individual is appointed to a vacant position of the public service through a competition (Article 34).

In turn, the Law

on Holding Competition in Public Service governs how the competition should be held. In accordance with this law, a candidate for the public service under an employment contract is hired through a simplified competition (Article 26). The stages of the simplified competition are as follows: selection of candidate applications and interviews with selected candidates.

Tbilisi City Hall announced vacancies for individuals who were going to be hired under an employment contract. It was indicated in the terms and conditions of the vacancies that candidates have to pass through the simplified competition for appointment which fully corresponds to the law. In accordance with information from Tbilisi City Hall, candidates for the aforementioned positions were selected through the simplified competition.

In regard to Tbilisi City Hall’s PR on the Facebook social network (advertising/sponsoring information and activities related to Tbilisi City Hall’s work), these activities will be advertised from February 2018 until January 2019 pursuant to the decree

of the Mayor of Tbilisi. Money for advertising was allocated from the Tbilisi budget sub-programme Dissemination of Information of Public Importance budget line (code 07 02 04).

In February 2018, Tbilisi City Hall purchased Facebook’s advertising service through simplified procurement (CMR 180046475). The cost associated with the contract was GEL 13,841. Additional information is attached to purchasing the contract which indicates that the rest of the money was given to the non-entrepreneurial non-commercial legal entity Public Communication Development Agency following

the ordinance of Tbilisi City Hall.

On 11 April 2018, it was the non-entrepreneurial non-commercial legal entity Public Communication Development Agency which purchased Facebook’s social network advertisement service through simplified procurement (CMR 180082359). The cost of the contract is USD 55,000.

Therefore, advertising the activities of Tbilisi City Hall on Facebook will cost GEL 13,841 and USD 55,000 – a total of GEL 145,841 for the period of February 2018 to 31 December 2019.

In accordance with the 2018 Tbilisi budget, GEL 1,100,000 is allocated for the Dissemination of Information of Public Importance programme budget line (GEL 893,000 was spent for this purpose in 2016 whilst the planned amount was GEL 1,087,000 in 2017).