Yesterday, on the 13th of December 2021, the Bureau of the Parliament of Georgia decided to accelerate the review of the draft law on gambling advertising initiated by the members of Georgian Dream party. The amendments will affect several legislative acts, including the Law of Georgia on Broadcasting. The proposed legislative package has significant financial implications.
The Coalition believes that the arguments presented in the explanatory note are extremely problematic and insufficient. The explanatory note does not make clear the need to adopt the legislative package without full deliberations. The amendments to the Law of Georgia on the Organising Lotteries, Gambling and Other Prize Games will come into force from March 2022, even if they are adopted in an accelerated manner. This reinforces the suspicion that there is no need to speed up the adoption of the legislative package and that the real aim of the Parliament is to avoid a full and professional discussion.
We also find it alarming that the impact of the amendments to the Georgian Law on Broadcasting on the revenues of broadcasters has not been properly assessed. There is a risk that the adoption of the bill will significantly undermine the financial independence of broadcasters. It is inconceivable to consider this issue without a full review of the draft law.
No consultations with state, non-state and/or international organisations/institutions were carried out during the preparation of the draft law; the draft law is not accompanied by appropriate conclusions and evaluations of experts in the field, including the Communications Commission.
Accelerated consideration of the draft law and its adoption in two readings in a day precludes a full parliamentary debate, submission of comments by interested parties and refinement of the draft law. These procedures are essential for initiatives that may have a significant financial impact on the state budget and the media.
