Tourism Ministry: Whole Process of HQ Selection Consulted with Finance Ministry

Bratislava, May 24 (TASR) - The whole process of selecting the headquarters for the Tourism and Sport Ministry was consulted with the Finance Ministry and its Value for Money unit, which approved the future contractual relationship, head of the Tourism and Sport Ministry's communications and marketing section Silvia Vlaskova has told TASR in reaction to the opposition Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) party's criticism that the rental cost of the building is excessive. "We were primarily searching among premises owned by state institutions. However, no building meeting our requirements was available for rent or sale. Therefore, the search was expanded to include the private sector as well," explained Vlaskova, stressing that the entire procedure came under the Value for Money unit's supervision. The ministry pointed out that when calculating the total costs of operation, energy, technical equipment, other equipment and parking for ten years, the difference between the first and second bids was almost €400,000. "Part of these rental costs will be paid by the Tourism Support Fund and the Anti-doping Agency, which will share the building with us," added Vlaskova. The real cost of ten years rental will be less than €15 million, she stated, adding that the ministry is renting the premises for €19.94 per square metre per month. SaS on Friday called on Tourism and Sport Minister Dusan Keketi (a Slovak National Party/SNS nominee) to publish the exact costs of renting the ministry building and to explain the criteria according to which the premises were found to offer the most advantageous bid. SaS vice-chair Marian Viskupic stated that the ministry will be based in lucrative, overpriced rented premises. He called it an example of squandering public money. Viskupic said that the state has rented premises almost twice as expensive as the market average. Keketi in early May claimed that the price for renting premises for the ministry and its organisations was the most advantageous. Three bids were shortlisted, with price being the decisive criterion. According to Keketi, all the buildings were visited by a commission that featured representatives of the Finance Ministry's Value for Money unit and ministry employees. The Tourism and Sport Ministry will be based in Warehouse No. 7 at Bratislava's shopping and administrative centre near the Danube River. ko/df