Subject: RE: project savings and quarantine costs
From: Nino Kvernadze <[email-masked]>
To: Volkan Cetinkaya <[email-masked]>, Maddalena Honorati <[email-masked]>
Cc: Tamar Gabunia <[email-masked]>, Tamar Barkalaia <[email-masked]>, Djamshid Iriskulov <[email-masked]>, Natalie Godziashvili <[email-masked]>, Giorgi Tsotskolauri <[email-masked]>, Beka Jakeli <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 15 Oct 2020 18:06:36 +0000

Dear Volkan,

Many thanks for your prompt reply.

Please find my answers in below green.

Best regards,

Nino Kvernadze

From: Volkan Cetinkaya
Sent: 15 October, 2020 21:47
To: Nino Kvernadze ; Maddalena Honorati
Cc: Tamar Gabunia ; Tamar Barkalaia ; Djamshid Iriskulov ; Natalie Godziashvili ; Giorgi Tsotskolauri ; Beka Jakeli
Subject: RE: project savings and quarantine costs

Dear Nino,

Thanks for sharing the update on the component-2 savings. I have a couple of clarification question:

Do you plan to allocate savings from the component-2 (cash benefits) to component-1 (health sector activities)? Since they are under different spending categories, this requires restructuring. I will check with the team lawyer to confirm – yes and we are aware of the restructuring  process

Are you asking to pay for quarantine expenses of LEPL at the MoESD from the budget allocated for MoILHSA’s quanrantine expenses or from the component-2 savings? If it is the former, I don’t think we need restructuring as the legal agreement states:

“Strengthening the preparedness planning and clinical care capacity of Georgia’s health systems through inter alia, establishing specialized care units, increasing availability of isolation facilities, increasing availability of critical medical supplies, equipment, and other related goods, and mobilizing additional resources to public and private health care facilities for effective management of cases including non-severe cases and ensuring readiness for forthcoming COVID-19 cases and treatment.” – not from the savings,  but with the already allocated amount. Please note that the initial quarantine costs as per PAD  was 7m,  however the expenses made by the LEPL at the MoESD are significantly higher. In the recently submitted PP you will see all related costs are merged and now it amounts 20.5 million. We were asked to use this amoung for the reimbursement. Details needs to be discussed again with the MoF and MoESD.

Quarantine, Preparedness,  Cost of cases

$20,500,000.00

My understanding is that the Government’s all quarantine related expenses can be covered from the component-1 regardless of who incurred this expense—MoILHSA or MoESD. I will also check this and confirm – please do so and let’s discuss how to proceed with the reimbursement.

Best,

Volkan

From: Nino Kvernadze <[email-masked]>
Sent: Thursday, October 15, 2020 7:29 AM
To: Volkan Cetinkaya <[email-masked]>; Maddalena Honorati <[email-masked]>
Cc: Tamar Gabunia <[email-masked]>; Tamar Barkalaia <[email-masked]>; Djamshid Iriskulov <[email-masked]>; Natalie Godziashvili <[email-masked]>; Giorgi Tsotskolauri <[email-masked]>; Beka Jakeli <[email-masked]>
Subject: project savings and quarantine costs

[External]

Dear Volkan,

Dear Maddalena,

As promised,  PIU is sharing with you possible spending  and saving to be incurred under the component 2.  The total spending for all four eligible costs are supposed to become approximately 94 ml. USD. Thus, in this scenario the savings would be approximately 14 ml. USD (for details please find the document enclosed). However, the Ministry of Finance recently  informed us that the program cost might even decrease, meaning that the Project savings will possibly become higher (approximately 5-7 ml USD).

Since it is not clear whether any of these state programs will still become available, MoF recommended to continue the discussions on reallocation of funds, after the election, which is October 31, 2020. In addition, as you know, there is ongoing loan and grant negotiation with the KFW, which is closely linked to our project eligibility. No other details are known yet.

One more issue PIU needs consultations with you, is that just recently,  reimbursement of quarantine costs of nonmedical facilities (hotels + related transportation)  became the subject of discussion between the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Finance. As you know, under the first component project supports quarantine related costs both at health-care and nonmedical settings financed by the Ministry. While working on the Global Budget Reimbursement Manual, we have collected information  on quarantine costs from health care facilities , which is 1 462 305 ml. GEL.  However since March, nonmedical care facilities are contracted by the LEPL Georgian National Tourism Administration at the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development.

Given the fact that we have the same type of expenditures, managed by two different ministries, and there is strong will from the government to reimburse  costs of quarantine at non-medical settings, under the Emergency COVID-19 Response Project , my question is whether it is  possible to consider eligible quarantine costs paid by the  LEPL Georgian National Tourism Administration under the Project. If yes, please advise whether change in POM would be enough, of shall we amend the Loan Agreement as well. In parallel I have requested the amount spent by the Tourism administration, between the period March-September.

In addition, we plan to submit pilot reimbursement letter for no-objection tomorrow only for one-offs and unemployment, since collecting evidences from SSA takes more time, because documents should arrive from regions.

Kind regards,

Nino Kvernadze

ნინო კვერნაძე

პროექტის მენეჯერი,

მსოფლიო ბანკის COVID-19-ის წინააღმდეგ სწრაფი რეაგირების

პროექტის განმახორციელებელი ჯგუფი (PIU),

საქართველოს ოკუპირებული ტერიტორიებიდან დევნილთა, შრომის, ჯანმრთელობისა და სოციალური დაცვის სამინისტრო

www.moh.gov.ge

Nino Kvernadze

Project Manager, PIU – World Bank

Emergency COVID-19 Response Project Implementation Unit

Ministry of Internally Displaced Persons from the Occupied Territories, Labour, Health and Social Affairs of Georgia

www.moh.gov.ge

Email: [email-masked]

Cell: +995 599 18 46 44