The Health Care and Social Issues Committee discussed for the III reading and approved the Draft Law on State Compensation and State Academic Scholarship, introduced by the Deputy Interior Minister, Alexander Darakhvelidze.

According to him, the key essence of the Draft is that the upper limit of the compensations shall be for the first time increased after 2006 to 1000 GEL, and to 1200 GEL for the families without breadwinners. As the reporter noted, the considerations led to the introduction of a record to the Law about the increase of the upper limit – the increase by the amount that the pensions have been increased.

The Draft also envisages the indexation and the coefficients will as well increase according to the titles. The Draft applies not only to the Interior Ministry employees but also to former judges and prosecutors, former MPs, former Parliamentary staffers, diplomats, civil aviation employees, former Auditor General and his/her deputy.

It is also imperative that the omitted period of 2005-2015 shall be considered as a working experience for the firefighters and rescuers regardless of their status and title. It shall apply also to the fire rescuers eligible for the state compensation, as well as the employees in office. The Draft budget constitutes about 45 ml GEL. The Law shall become effective as of May 1, which envisages the eligible persons to enjoy the increased compensations upon May 2.

The Chair of the Committee estimated the Draft as timely and necessary.

“The Draft is quite positive and implies the support for the persons eligible for the state compensation. No increase to compensation has been registered since 2006. Over 20,000 citizens will enjoy the increased compensations upon May. It is also paramount that the firefighters and rescuers employed in the period of 2005-2015 were also enrolled to this list”, - he stated.

The respective amendments are to be introduced to the Law on Social Security of Persons Transferred to the Reserve from Military Bodies, Internal Affairs Bodies and the Special State Protection Service, and Their Family Members and the Law on Civic Security.

The Committee approved the Drafts.