According to statistics, the number of non-governmental organizations is growing, but it does not say anything about NGO activity. Budgetary allocations to certain NGOs grew rather suspiciously before the last election. Support for green organizations, on the other hand, declined sharply over the past year, practically to zero. The government engaged in a witch-hunt of sorts against independent NGOS,  and exerted serious efforts to establish a loyal circle of “NGOs “ from above.