Roman Gotsiridze: “The budget of the State Security Service has doubled, tripled even.”

Verdict: FactCheck concludes that Roman Gotsiridze’s statement is HALF TRUE.

The respective annual budgets of the State Security Service of Georgia (SSSG), which was established in August 2015, amounted to GEL 104 million in 2016 and GEL 138 million in 2021 whilst the projected budget for 2024 constitutes GEL 210 million.

The budget for the SSSG has doubled as compared to the 2016 figure. Initially, the growth rate of the institution’s budget increased gradually at a rate significantly lower than other types of state budget expenditures until 2021. However, a substantial shift in approach after 2021 resulted in a significant increase in the growth rate of the institution’s financing.

The state budget expenditure increased by a total of 140% from GEL 10.4 billion to GEL 25 billion, whilst the budget allocation for the SSSG increased by 102%, from GEL 104 million to GEL 210 million, hence at a lower growth rate, between 2016 and 2024. Taking the period from 2021 to 2024 into account, expenditures increased by 26% from GEL 19.8 million to GEL 25 million, whereas the SSSG’s budget witnessed an increase of 52% from GEL 138 million to GEL 210 million. An analogous tendency can be observed regarding other institutions as well, as their funding increased at rates higher as compared to the SSSG between 2016 and 2021, but the tendency shifter after the 2021 mark.

The nominal SSSG funding has doubled between 2016 and 2024. Despite the overall growth rate falling short of the state budget expenditure growth rate initially, a shift could be observed after 2021, resulting in a higher growth for the SSSG budget as compared to other institutions. Considering all of the above, FactCheck concluded that Roman Gotsiridze’s statement is HALF TRUE.

Analysis

Roman Gotsiridze, an MP and member of the parliamentary group Eurooptimists, during his speech regarding the SSSG on 8 May, claimed (from 9:18): “The SSSG receives substantial amounts of funding; its budget has doubled, tripled even.”

The State Security Service of Georgia, or the SSSG, was established on 1 August 2015, incurring GEL 37 million as expenditure over four months. The projected 2016 budget amounted to GEL 104 million.

The state budget expenditure increased by a total of 140% from GEL 10.4 billion to GEL 25 billion, whilst the budget allocation for the SSSG increased by 102%, from GEL 104 million to GEL 210 million, hence at a lower growth rate, between 2016 and 2024.

Notably, the overall growth does not constitute a full picture. The state budget expenditure increased by 90% from GEL 10.4 billion to GEL 19.8 billion from 2016 to 2021, whilst the budget allocation for the SSSG went up by 32% from GEL 104 million to GEL 138 million. The subsequent increase from 2021 to 2024 amounted to 26% for the state budget expenditures, marking an increase from GEL 19.8 billion to GEL 25 billion, whereas the SSSG’s funding increased by 52% from GEL 138 million to GEL 210 million.

Graph 1: Growth Rates of State and SSSG Budgets

Source: National Statistics Office of Georgia

Considering the upward trend in the financing of the SSSG in later years, it can be inferred that the institution has become notably prominent during the third term of Georgian Dream’s governance.

Graph 1: Funding Allocated for the Annual Budgets of the SSSG (GEL million)

Source: National Statistics Office of Georgia

Whilst a total of 3,850 individuals are employed in the institution in 2024 – a figure that has not changed since 2021, the allocated expenditure for salaries has increased from GEL 88 million to GEL 126 million; additionally, the budget for non-financial assets has witnessed growth from GEL 10 million to GEL 28 million.

Whilst the nominal budget for the SSSG has doubled between 2016 and 2024 and the overall growth rate fell short of the state budget expenditure growth rate, the tendency shifter in 2021, resulting in a higher growth rate of SSSG’s budget as compared to other institutions. Considering all of the above, FactCheck concludes that Roman Gotsiridze’s statement is HALF TRUE.