GYLA Calls on Public Agencies to Elaborate Transparent and Objective Regulations for Providing Salary Bonuses

Providing salary bonuses to public servants has been closed to public recently. Althogh following the 2012 parliamentary elections, majority of public agencies provided access to the information, certain problems remain. In this light, following the 2012 parliamentary elections NGOs and media outlets have reported about provision of salary bonuses in public agencies on a number of occasions (including provision of bonuses in the ministries, the Government Chancellary and the parliament in November-December, 2012). Consequently, GYLA deems it expedient to update public on further developments.  

Under the law of Georgia on Public Service, a public servant has the right to receive a remuneration for labor (salary) after s/he is hired and before s/he is discharged. Remuneration for labor of a public servant entails wages, bonuses and supplements as prescribed by law. However, notably the legislation does not envisage any other type of important legal regulations that apply to provision of salary bonuses. Therefore, decisions about providing bonuses are mostly made solely by managers, lack substnatiation and are not based on relevant criteria for evaluation of an individual. The problem is further complicated by the fact that most of the public agencies have no legal act whatsoever to regulate provision of bonuses. Absens of the legal act in its turn further promotes the unfair practice.