Expenses for culture are increasing, the prime minister wants one percent

Prague - Prime Minister Mirek Topolánek (ODS) today during his visit to the Ministry of Culture appreciated that the ministry's budget has been increased, even though the goal of one percent share of the state budget was not achieved. This year and last year, however, this share was nearly 0.8 percent, and next year it should not significantly decrease. The Prime Minister mentioned the share of the department's expenditures in relation to gross domestic product at the press conference. According to the Ministry of Finance and the mentioned figures, he likely meant the share of the state budget.
    The government aims to achieve one percent of the state budget by 2010. This task has been set by several Czech Ministers of Culture and governments before.
    The Minister of Culture Václav Jehlička (KDU-ČSL) was praised by the Prime Minister today for managing money well within the ministry. He stated that Jehlička is trying - as he was instructed - to "economize" the ministry, meaning to lead the office so that it is not just an expenditure department. According to the Prime Minister, this relates to the preparation of several laws that should make the functioning of the areas under the ministry less dependent on government money. He primarily referred to heritage conservation and cinematography.
    Compared to last year, the ministry's budget increased by 934 million crowns, or 12 percent, Topolánek stated. Under the previous government, the cultural budget was around 0.6 percent of the state budget, while in the last two years it has been almost 0.8 percent. For next year, the yet-to-be-approved budget estimates about 0.72 percent of the state budget share, which is significantly more than in the previous period, even though we have not yet met the one percent target, he stated.
    Topolánek's government has declared its intent to reach one percent of the state budget by 2010. In 1999 and 2000, cultural expenditures were approaching this share, after which they fluctuated around 0.6 to 0.7 percent for several years, and since 2006 this share has been increasing. Last year, culture had access to 0.76 percent of the state budget, and this year it has 0.8 percent; however, the ministry's budget also includes expenditures for church activities, primarily for clergy salaries.
    The ministry does not want to disclose exact figures on the funds planned for the culture sector for next year. Allegedly, the budget should not differ significantly from this year's.

Share of Ministry of Culture expenditures in the state budget
(figures are in billions of crowns and rounded)

year	state budget	MK budget	expenditures on churches	expenditures without churches	share of expenditures without churches	share of MK expenditures in the state budget
2002	750.68	4.8	1	3.8	0.51 %	0.64 %
2003	795.4	6.1	1.1	5	0.63 %	0.77 %
2004	869	6	1.2	4.8	0.56 %	0.69 %
2005	908.4	5.7	1.2	4.5	0.49 %	0.63 %
2006	958.9	6.3	1.5	4.8	0.50 %	0.66 %
2007	1,040	7.9	1.3	6.6	0.64 %	0.76 %
2008	1,107	8.8	1.3	7.5	0.68 %	0.79 %

source: Collection of articles on culture 1998-2003 and laws on the state budget