PM announces full review of socially vulnerable database

Georgia’s Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze has announced that the government will conduct a comprehensive review of the country’s database of socially vulnerable citizens to ensure that only those who genuinely need support remain enrolled.

Speaking to journalists, Kobakhidze said the review is an important but politically sensitive process, noting that similar checks in the past sparked controversy.

“For example, in 2014-2015, when qualitative verification of the databases began, there were many speculations. People claimed that social assistance was unfairly withdrawn. After 2020, essentially a moratorium existed on reviewing social databases, partly due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which increased the number of beneficiaries. As a result, sporadic checks revealed instances of significant undeclared income among recipients,” he said.

The Prime Minister stressed that the full review aimed to target support to those who truly need it. He cited figures showing the poverty rate declined from 21.3% in 2020 to 9.4% in 2024, meaning the update process will be substantial.

“The Ministry of Health will conduct the process, and afterwards it will become clear how many remain in the database and how many do not,” Kobakhidze said.