The Annual Wage of the Highest Paid Officials Makes 1.7 Million Gel per year.
The wage of those employed within the state structures is something of public interest. In the budget organizations the salaries paid to officials are usually followed by the bonuses or bounties. In 2018 during 9 months, the budget organizations spent a total of 1 Billion Gel on salaries, from which the expenses of the suitable remunerations made 717.3 Million Gel. According to the monitoring held by the Audit Office, the bonus expenses contain 1% of the whole salaries, whereas the bounties made 14% and therefore a total of 141.7 Million Gel.
The salaries of the newly-created pension agency employees were also public interest. In particular, remunerations of the members of the agency councils should be up to 60 000 USD per year, however, as it turns out, this is not the highest wage within the budget organizations since some officials of several agencies already receive more than $60 000 per year.
Within the public agencies, the representatives of the government agencies and state companies have the highest remunerations. However, it needs to be marked, that similar agencies function independently and the majority of them makes its own profits so differentiating them from politics is significantly important.
The remunerations of the 10 highest paid officials make a total of 1.7 Million Gel. By the paid remunerations during 2017-2018, we made the positions where the managers hired by the government receive the highest salaries:
Executive Director of the Partnership Fund
The remuneration – 294 000 Gel per year; 24 500 Gel per month
The executive director of the ‘Partnership Fund’ is Davit Saganelidze. Within 3 years only, Saganelidze has received a total of 714 000 Gel as the salary. In his 2016 asset declaration, Saganelidze has not indicated his own salary, however, it is a known fact, that within this period he received a total of 404 250 Gel as the salary. Turns out, that throughout only 4 years and 3 months, his payment exceeded a total of 1.1 Million Gel.
Director of Georgian Railway
The remuneration – 210 525 Gel per year; 17 500 Gel per month
At the moment, the director of the Georgian Railway company is Davit Pheradze. The company is under the ownership of the Partnership Fund. Mamuka Bakhtadze was receiving the average salary of 18 370 Gel on the same post. In total, while serving as the director of Georgian Railway, Bakhtadze made more than 828 000 Gel.
The CEO of Georgian Oil and Gas Corporation
The remuneration – 175 000 Gel per year; 14 500 Gel per month
For the last couple of months, Giorgi Bakhtadze holds the position of the CEO of Georgian Oil and Gas Corporation. Before him, throughout several years, the company was led by Davit Tvalabeishvili. The Partnership Fund, and therefore, the government is the 100% shareholder of the GOGC. From this period to 2017, Tvalabeishvili has received a total of 762 000 Gel as the salary.
Director of the Georgian State Electro-system
The remuneration – 341 000 Gel per year; 28 000 Gel per month
From 2007 until 2018 this position was held by Sulkhan Zumburidze. Since 2013 up until 2017, during 5 years, Sulkhan Zumburidze received more than a total of 1.4 Million Gel as the salary.
The CEO of the Electricity Market Operator (ESCO)
The remuneration – 133 000 Gel per year; 11 000 Gel per month
The position is held by Vakhtang Ambokadze who in 5 years received more than half of a million dollars – 645 046 as the salary.
The CEO of Georgian National Energy and Water Supply Regulatory Commission
The remuneration – 151 500 Gel per year; 12 600 Gel per month
Irina Milorava, as the head of the Georgian National Energy and Water Supply Regulatory Commission, received the salary of 151 500 Gel in 2018; and 165 000 Gel in 2016.
The Head of the Georgian National Communications Commission
The remuneration – 2410 000 Gel per year; 20 000 Gel per month
Last year, as the head of the commission, Kakha Bekauri received 241 376 Gel as the salary. It needs to be said, that when in 2016 Bekauri was still at the top of the company, his annual wage made 233 988 Gel – which is more than 19 400 Gel per month. While working at the commission from 2014 until 2018 (a total of 5 years), Bekauri received more than 1.1 Million Gel. Accordingly, his wage, as the head of the commission, is the highest of all in Georgia.
The President of the National Bank
The remuneration – 165 000 Gel per year; 13 750 Gel per month
In 2018, Koba Gvenetadze, while working as the president of the National Bank, has received a total of 243 000 Gel as the salary (20 250 Gel per month). From this amount, 165 000 Gel was paid to Gvenetadze as to the president, whereas 78 000 Gel – as the member of the council. His salary within the National Bank now is more than half of a million dollars.
The Vice-President of the National Bank
The remuneration – 137 391 Gel per year; 11 500 Gel per month
The former vice president of the National Bank Murtaz Kikoria has received the exact salary, which is summed up by his salary as the member of the council made of 78 000 Gel.
The Head of the Election Administration of Georgia
The remuneration – 149 000 Gel per year; 12 500 Gel per month
The position is held by Tamar Zhvania. In the last 3 years, her total salary was almost half of a million dollars – a total of 463 000 Gel.
Besides these 10 positions the remunerations of the court officials also need to be taken into the account. For instance, the annual salary of the former head of the Supreme Court, Nino Gvenetadze, was made of 137 500 Gel whereas the salary of the head of the Constitutional Court was 138 500 Gel.
