For the winter of 2001-2002, the US Government, acting through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), is anticipating allocation of $9.1 million in assistance for the fourth year of the Georgia Winter Heating Assistance Program. BP, the international petroleum company leading the construction of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan and Shah-Deniz pipelines, is also participating in the program by providing an additional $1 million for assistance to purchase electricity for the vulnerable people and institutions, bringing the total funding for this program to $10.1 million. This is the largest amount of subsidy funding ever allocated for this program.
The assistance program is targeted at the most vulnerable part of the Georgian population and socially-critical institutions and will, as in past years, be used to pay for electricity consumption, up to established limits per household and institution, during the winter months of December 2001 through March 2002.
USAID has for a second year selected PA Government Services (PA), part of the PA Consulting Group, to manage the implementation of the program. PA has teamed with the Georgian Disabled Women's International Association to assist with the program's implementation.
Due to the increased amount of assistance, this year's program will cover more beneficiaries nationwide, although the funds available will not permit the payment of electricity costs for all of those in need. Beneficiaries will, as in past years, be selected by a computerized database originally developed by Counterpart International, based on a comprehensive survey of the Georgian population and records available from the Ministry of Labor, Health, and Social Welfare. The database includes a vulnerability rating for each household that will be used to ensure that the subsidies reach those most in need.
During this year's program, PA anticipates that approximately 107,248 beneficiary households in Tbilisi will be entitled to assistance payments to cover an initial limit of 200 kW/h of electricity on a monthly basis; about 71,481 vulnerable households in the regional centers outside of Tbilisi will have an initial limit of 150 kW/h electricity monthly. Additionally, the program will cover the electricity bills of approximately 300 socially critical institutions such as hospitals, boarding schools, maternity houses, and orphanages. Further, electricity usage for the collective centers for internally-displaced persons will also be subsidized. More rural villages will not be included in this year's program due to the low amount of forecasted electricity supply to such areas.
Over the next few weeks, those selected for participation in the program will receive a beneficiary certificate from PA representatives. PA will also inform the local electricity distribution company of the beneficiaries' status to help ensure against disconnection for nonpayment.
For more information about the program, please contact the Georgian Disabled Women's International Association, at one of the following telephone numbers:
Telephone: +(995 32) 92-14-61
Telephone: + (995 32) 97-48-84
Telephone: + (995 32) 38-98-49
-ends-
