The Song and Dance Celebration, regional cultural programmes, as well as the State Culture Capital Fun’s (VKKF) financing must not suffer simply because the government suddenly changes the game rules in regards to donations from Latvian State Forests JSC (LVM) towards culture, Latvia’s President Egils Levits wrote on Twitter.
The president stressed that he will invite Prime Minister Krišjānis Kariņš and Minister of Finances Arvils Ašeradens to keep that in mind.
At the end of December 2022 VKKF council chairperson Dace Bluķe invited the government to return to the LVM donation policy. She stressed that the council meeting held several days before Christmas brought rather unpleasant news for the culture sector. Mass media have already reported the government’s arguments against LVM donation policy.
«As VKKF council was informed by the minister of culture, there won’t be any donations despite his insistence for the government to accept the diversion of LVM donations towards the culture sector. Financing that is used to maintain multiple of VKKF’s culture programmes will be divided in accordance with tender procedure. Each project is evaluated by a committee of experts based on general financing distribution principles,» explained VKKF council chairperson.
Since 2011 VKKS has cooperated with LVM to secure funding for multiple culture programmes.
The company’s donation to the fund was EUR 750 000 in 2022.
This money was used to fully or partially fund the programme for Nationally important culture events, the programme for the development of choir and dance traditions, as well as individual culture programmes in Kurzeme, Zemgale, Latgale and Vidzeme. These programmes helped support 58 projects in Latvia and in foreign countries last year.
As for regional culture programmes, funding was used to support 239 projects.
There are plans to introduce a new order for LVM donations in the future. On the 20th of December, the government decided to use donations from LVM in accordance with proposed offers, taking away donations from municipalities.
In the topic of donations for municipalities it is planned to respect the position of the prime minister, because these donations are not distributed to any individual institutions, as previously noted by Minister of Finances Arvils Ašeradens.
According to him, provision of donations from LVM under the current approach should be discontinued and be reviewed. Although the money donated by LVM is considered by multiple organisations are their base budget, it would be a better approach to add this money to the state budget and decide on its use later, said the minister.