Budget25: Culture Budget Foresees Expenditure of €529 million

Bratislava, October 15 (TASR) - The state budget for 2025 should have available €529 million for spending in the field of culture, with the most significant item of expenditure being the expenses of public institutions, in particular the public-service broadcaster STVR, and the second largest amount relating to the activities of partly and fully budget-subsidised organisations of the Culture Ministry, according to the draft state budget approved by the government at its meeting on Tuesday. "Compared to the approved budget for 2024, the allocation represents an increase of more than €31 million, that is more than 6 percent," said the Finance Ministry that prepared the budget, noting that spending on culture was affected by several things - amendments to laws that increased the transfer for the Art Support Fund by more than €10 million, an increase in spending for STVR by €15.8 million following the GDP growth, as well as an increase in spending for the European Capital of Culture 2026 by €2.1 million. The expenditure of public institutions makes up a budget line of €219 million, of which €157 million is for STVR. This is made up of a claimable contribution to STVR (0.12 percent of GDP) of €147.4 million. "The remaining expenditure of STVR up to €157 million is covered by its own revenue of €10.2 million, including almost €9 million as advertising revenue," added the ministry. The 2023 amendment also determines the transfer of the Culture Ministry to the News Agency of the Slovak Republic (TASR) by the same mechanism of linking it to a percentage of GDP. The contribution of 0.0029 percent of GDP amounts to €3.6 million for 2025. am/mcs