Georgian Finance Minister Nodur Khaduri has pledged to review Georgia
Public Broadcasting (GPB) debts to the government amounting to c. €4
million. The arrears were discovered during investigations at the EBU
Member following last year's elections.
Mr Kharuri made the commitment during a visit to Tibilisi by EBU Director General Ingrid Deltenre: "We will start work on restructuring these tax arrears," Mr Khaduri said, adding that he was aware that GPB also owes money to the EBU. "And we are going to support them in their search for independent sources of finance."
GPB is financed almost exclusively by a government allocation equivalent to 0.12% of the country's gross national product. This is expected to amount to c. 32 million Georgian lari (c. €15 million) in 2013.
"I assure you that neither the Finance Ministry nor the government will interfere in the internal affairs of GPB," he said. "We totally respect their editorial independence and will concern ourselves only with supporting them financially."
Mr Kharuri made the commitment during a visit to Tibilisi by EBU Director General Ingrid Deltenre: "We will start work on restructuring these tax arrears," Mr Khaduri said, adding that he was aware that GPB also owes money to the EBU. "And we are going to support them in their search for independent sources of finance."
GPB is financed almost exclusively by a government allocation equivalent to 0.12% of the country's gross national product. This is expected to amount to c. 32 million Georgian lari (c. €15 million) in 2013.
"I assure you that neither the Finance Ministry nor the government will interfere in the internal affairs of GPB," he said. "We totally respect their editorial independence and will concern ourselves only with supporting them financially."
(Source: EBU)
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