According to the budget performance report 2020, Georgian taxpayers paid 383 million GEL for utility bill subsidy, including 328.9 million GEL was spent in 2020, while the remained sum - in 2021.
Utility bill subsidy was implemented in two stages - the first of which was carried out last spring (March, April and May). The second stage started in December 2020 and ended in February 2021. The cost of the first phase totaled to 172.7 million GEL, and the cost of the second phase amounted to 210 million GEL.
The government covered utility fees for households which consume less than 200 kWh of electricity and 200 cubic meters of natural gas per month as well as water and cleaning fees.
According to the report of the Ministry of Finance, the program was funded with 172.7 million GEL by the Health Ministry, while the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development allocated 210.0 million GEL.
The utility tariff subsidy program is often criticized due to its low efficacy, as it has benefited a wide range of citizens regardless of how the COVID-19 economic crisis has affected them.
