The Parliament discussed with the I reading and approved with 82 votes the Draft Law on Social Aid, envisaging the indexation of the social package for persons with disabilities and regulating the amount and calculation of the package.

“We introduce the same principles of indexation of the social package as applied for the pensioners since 2017 under the Law on State Pension; it will formulate the sustainable mechanism for the growth of the package as a key instrument for the prevention of poverty of persons/children with disabilities”, - the Deputy Health Minister, Tamila Barkalaia stated at the plenary session.

Pursuant to the current norms, the growth of the social package depends on the annual state budget and the fiscal parameters with the absence of clear mechanisms to ensure the annual growth of the aid but the introduction of the indexation of the social package creates a sustainable mechanism for the growth of the social aid to prevent poverty of persons/children with disabilities.

As the reporter noted, indexation establishes a higher index of the growth for persons/children with severe disabilities and an extra 73 ml GEL is already designated in this view in the State Budget 2023.

As T. Barkalaia added, it does not accomplish the process and the Government keeps activity in this direction to further increase the monetary aid and services, making them diverse and more accessible.