The draft law “On transparency of foreign influence” [registered by the Georgian Dream faction] will be submitted to the Bureau of the Parliament today.

The Bureau will send it to the parliamentary committees for consideration.

The document provides for the registration of non-entrepreneurial (non-commercial) legal entities and media outlets as organizations carrying out the interests of a foreign power, if certain volume of their income [more than 20%] is received from abroad.

As the draft law reads, everyone who is considered to be an “organization carrying the interests of a foreign power” must be registered in the public register under the same name in a mandatory manner. At the time of registration, it will be necessary to reflect the received income. The organizations will have the obligation to fill in the financial declaration every year.

Avoiding registration as an organization carrying out the interests of a foreign power or not filling out the declaration will result in the organization being fined in the amount of GEL 25 000. The draft also envisages the following types of fines: GEL 10 000 if the organization does not fill out the application; in case of non-correction of defects in the documents within the specified period – GEL 10 000; committing an offense after a month – GEL 20 000.