Abkhazia will fulfill its obligations to pay salaries to social sector workers, despite the partial suspension of Russian financial aid, the authorities of the republic assured. The issue was discussed at a meeting with Prime Minister Alexander Ankvab on September 3.
Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Finance Vladimir Delba informed Ankvab about the procedure and volume of Russian financial assistance until 2024. In accordance with the Russian-Abkhaz agreement on facilitating the implementation of the State Program for Socio-Economic Development of the Republic of Abkhazia for 2022-2025, the Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation has the right to fully or partially suspend the transfer of assistance funds to the Ministry of Finance of Abkhazia in cases of non-compliance by Abkhazia with the provisions of the agreement related to the Program for Harmonization of Legislation of the two countries.
“Since the Abkhaz side did not fully implement certain points of the harmonization program and the deadline for its implementation expired on August 1, 2024, the Russian side suspended the provision of financial assistance in the amount of monthly needs to certain categories of government employees in the field of healthcare, education, culture, physical culture and sports and social services to citizens,” – says the message of the Cabinet of Ministers of Abkhazia.
According to the Ministry of Finance, the volume of this requirement amounted to 141.7 million rubles in August alone.
“Despite the partial suspension of Russian financial assistance, the Abkhaz side will ensure the agreed budgetary obligations to pay salaries to social workers, including by reducing other budgetary expenditures, since socially oriented expenditures of the budgetary system are protected. By the end of the year, this amount will amount to more than 700 million rubles.” – the government said.
EADaily Russia has suspended payments to Abkhazian public sector employees as of September 1, it said.
In March 2024, deputies of the Abkhaz Parliament ratified a protocol amending the Agreement between the Republic of Abkhazia and the Russian Federation to promote the implementation of the state program for the socio-economic development of the republic for 2022-2025. The protocol entailed the approval of annual target values of the average wage of workers in the public sector, primarily of a social orientation, as well as the number of workers who can be financed or co-financed from the funds of the Russian Federation and Abkhazia. For these purposes, 1 billion 780 million rubles will be allocated until 2024. In November 2023, the parliament ratified the protocol to the Russian-Abkhaz agreement of 2020, according to which co-financing of expenses for a gradual increase in material and technical support, as well as monetary allowances and social guarantees for employees of the internal affairs bodies of the republic is extended until December 31, 2025.
