Law on foreign agents to make Georgian NGOs more transparent, PM assures

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze has said that the adoption of a law on foreign agents in Georgia will help non-governmental organizations (NGOs) make their financial receipts more transparent.

“For me, Europe means transparency and accountability to society. The Georgian government has already implemented the European transparency standard. Now is the time for non-governmental organizations and their donors to become Europeans, in which the Transparency of Foreign Influence Act will provide them with important assistance,” TASS quotes the prime minister as saying in a statement on April 3. 

The head of government believes that if organizations have nothing to hide, they should not oppose the new law.

“It is considered extremely un-European when you avoid the minimum standard of transparency and do not want to fill out a financial declaration at least once a year. So it is clear that you are spoiling something and have something to hide,” he added.