Aslan Abashidze informed Georgian Minister of State Avtandil Djorbenadze during talks in Batumi on 17 May that Adjaria will no longer transfer taxes to the Georgian central budget but will spend its tax revenues on local needs. Abashidze said that in the past his republic has regularly transferred the required sums to Tbilisi, but received back far less in subsidies than the sum to which it was entitled. He claimed Tbilisi owes his autonomous republic 130 million laris ($61.4 million). Djorbenadze for his part claimed that Adjaria owes 30 million laris in taxes. The dispute between Abashidze and the central Georgian government over taxes has been going on for years. Djorbenadze\'s prediction after talks on the issue last September that a solution to the problem was within reach proved to be premature. (Caucasus Press)