TBILISI. Oct 18 (Interfax-AVN) - The Georgian government and parliament have no reason to increase defense expenditures, which will near one-third of the state budget this year, leader of the Industrialists opposition faction, Zurab Tkemaladze, told Interfax on Thursday.
"Another reason why they should not increase the defense budget is that a part of it is classified, and only the parliament majority is aware of defense expenditures' details," he said.
Georgia increased the military budget from 513 million lari to 1.27 billion lari this year, and the parliament may approve another increase of defense expenditures, to 1.49 billion lari ($910 million) on November 6, Tkemaladze said.
"Certainly, the country should build up its defense capacities, but the increases must be reasonable and consider social needs," he said.
"The non-professionalism of the Finance Ministry, which is increasing the defense budget for no apparent reason, may cause rather negative inflation processes. Georgia is already experience such," Tkemaladze said.