Photo: David Mdzinarischvili/TASS
TBILISI, May 30. /TASS/. Georgian NGOs that receive more than 20 % of funds from abroad will be registered in a special database in accordance with the new law on foreign agents starting from September, Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili said in an interview with Imedi TV.
"After the publication of the [Foreign Agents] Act, a web portal will have to be created for the registration of these organisations. It will also be necessary to design online registration forms. Around September, the organizations will have to apply for registration," Papuashvili said.
On 14 May, the Georgian parliament passed the law on transparency of foreign influence in its third reading, sparking strong criticism from the European Union, coupled with threats to suspend the country's EU integration. US Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs James O'Brien said that the United States would impose sanctions on the Georgian government if democracy was undermined in Georgia. President Salome Zourabichvili vetoed the bill on 18 May. Parliament overrode the presidential veto on 5 May.
The new regulations only apply to media and legal entities that receive 20 % or more in funding from abroad. These organisations will be required to report their income and expenditure to the Ministry of Justice in January each year. If they fail to do so, they will be fined 25,000 Georgian lari (about US$9,000). Each month thereafter, they will be fined 20,000 lari (about US$7,200).
TASS/gnews.cz-JaV_07
https://tass.com/world/1795497