The Parliament approved on May 22 amendments to the 2012 state budget.

Georgian Finance Minister Dimitri Gvindadze told MPs that 2012 economic growth forecast was revised upwards from 5% to 6%.

According to the amendments, budgetary revenues for 2012 were revised upwards from current GEL 6.839 billion to GEL 7.053 billion and expenditures - from current GEL 6.554 billion to GEL 6.782 billion.

According to the government, increase in revenues was made possible as a result of additional foreign grants in an amount of GEL 94.2 million, plus GEL 120 million of additional revenues from other sources, mainly from fees of licenses for use of natural resources. 

The Georgian Finance Minister said that additional funds will mainly be spent on the implementation of infrastructure projects. The funding for regional infrastructure projects has increased significantly – from GEL 297 million to GEL 399 million.
 
Budgetary amendments have applied to most of the ministries:

• Ministry of Healthcare and Social Protection – GEL 1.804 billion (instead of initially envisaged GEL 1.772 billion);
• Defense Ministry - GEL 676.5 million (instead of GEL 675 million);
• Ministry of Regional Development and Infrastructure – GEL 980 million (instead of GEL 960.3 mln);
• Ministry of Agriculture - GEL 148.9 million (instead of GEL 119.9 million);
• Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development – GEL 163.6 million (instead of GEL 139.2 million);
• Ministry of Foreign Affairs – GEL 91 million (instead of GEL 76 million);
• Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs - GEL 59.2 million (instead of GEL 50 million);
• Ministry of Culture and Protection of Monuments – GEL 92.7 million (instead of GEL 81.5 million);
• Finance Ministry – GEL 123.2 million (instead of GEL 111.7 mln);
• Ministry in charge of prison system – GEL 125.1 million (instead of GEL 120 mln);
• Ministry of Education and Science – GEL 600.8 million (instead of GEL 595 mln);
• Ministry of IDPs from the Occupied Territories, Accommodation and Refugees – GEL 38.2 million (instead of GEL 34.8 mln);
• Ministry of Environment Protection - GEL 19.8 million (instead of GEL 17.5 mln).
• Ministry of Justice - GEL 54.1 million (instead of GEL 74 mln);
• State Minister’s Office for Reintegration Issues – GEL 1.3 million (instead of GEL 1.4 mln);
• State Minister’s Office for European and Euro-Atlantic Issues - GEL 2.3 million (instead of GEL 2 mln).

The funding of the Central Election Commission (CEC) also increased from GEL 41.6 million to GEL 46.3 million. This additional GEL 4.7 million will be allocated by the CEC to a state commission in charge of verifying voters’ list.