Bulgarian Minister Demands More Funding for Culture

Bulgarian Minister, Vezhdi Rashidov, says culture must be a priority of every society. Photo by BGNES

Bulgaria's Culture Minister, Vezhdi Rashidov, is going to demand more money for his sector in the 2013 State budget.

Speaking Tuesday for the Bulgarian National Television, BNT, Rashidov explained that despite the 10% increase of salaries of museums, art galleries, and libraries employees, budget 2013 does not slate additional funds for his institution at time it had undertaken very serious reforms.

He further wants more funding for theaters, for actors' salaries, for filmmaking and book publishing.

Rashidov blamed Finance Minister, Simeon Djankov, for failing to understand the importance of culture, stressing on the fact 98% of the employees in the sector have college degrees, but get meager salaries without pressuring the government for more money.

When asked to comment on reports that the emblematic Sofia monument of Russian Tsar Liberator has been abandoned in a junkyard, the Minister voiced outrage and replied he would not want to comment on non-sense. Nevertheless, he stressed that this was the only professional foundry in the country that must restore the monument and take care of the cracks which made the statue unsafe.

Rashidov reported that 9 theaters will be renovated by the end of the year and 4 new museums are currently being built. He stressed art schools are in dare need of funds for repairs since they have not been touched in 50 years and children study in deplorable conditions.

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