In the new nationwide lottery “Antiquity Lottery” with the purpose of public benefit, the funds obtained for the preservation of Latvian cultural and historical heritage are planned to be directed to the restoration of nationally and internationally important, symbolic and unique cultural monuments, thereby promoting the preservation of Latvian cultural heritage, strengthening public awareness and pride in our cultural values, as also creating an opportunity to nurture, experience and enjoy them both for us and for future generations.
It is hoped that the lottery revenues could reach 2.31 million euros in 2025, 2.37 million euros in 2026, 2.65 million euros in 2027, and 2.3 million euros in 2028.
In the raffle with the purpose of public benefit, several principles are supposed to be observed in the allocation of funding: only those projects related to the preservation or restoration of nationally or internationally important, symbolic and unique cultural monuments will be eligible for funding, the project must demonstrate how it will contribute to the preservation of cultural heritage in the long term and how it will be ensured maintenance of the restored objects in the future, the project must promote public awareness and involvement in the preservation of cultural values, and the beneficiary must submit a detailed restoration program, which includes information on work methods, materials used, scope, costs and time schedule.
Also, the government supported the allocation of additional funding for strengthening cyber security in the cultural sector, ensuring the renewal of computer equipment and covering the costs of licenses.
An additional 1.2 million euros will be allocated to strengthen cyber security in the cultural sector by ensuring the renewal of computer equipment and covering the costs of licenses. The KM will receive this funding from the Ministry of Smart Administration and Regional Development after the development of the relevant regulatory framework for attracting funding from the European Union.
In 2025, funding for the implementation of cultural sector projects in the programs of the State Cultural Capital Fund will increase by 1.6 million euros, due to the increase in revenues from the excise tax on alcoholic beverages, tobacco products, lottery tax and gambling tax.
Likewise, the government today approved the proposal of the Ministry of Internal Affairs to maintain the current tax payment procedure for royalties recipients for another three years – not to register as economic operators, while at the same time paying tax at the rate of 25% for their work to the payer of income.
The Minister of Culture Agnese Lāce (P) notes that, when creating the 2025 budget, she met several times with representatives of the culture sector, explaining the priorities set in the context of security. “Internally, we have scrupulously reviewed the previous budget of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and decided, including, on the reduction of funds in internal resources,” says Lāce.
The MoC requested about 28 million euros for priority measures in the 2025 budget, in accordance with the government’s decision to put national security as the only priority of the next year’s state budget. Funding was requested to ensure the security of the information space, to solve issues of community resilience, as well as to ensure the readiness and continuity of the cultural sector’s operations in crisis conditions.
The members of the National Culture Council (NKP) were also introduced to the priorities of the Ministry of Culture’s 2025 budget. NKP is a public consultative institution of the Ministry of Culture in matters of cultural sectors and cultural policy, the purpose of which is to promote balanced development of cultural and cultural heritage sectors in the interests of Latvian society, creating a dialogue between strategy and policy makers of various sectors, implementers and society.
On Tuesday, the government reviewed the informative report prepared by it on the priority measures to be included in the state budget bill for 2025, 2026, 2027 and 2028. The draft budget foresees additional funding for priority measures related to national security, ensuring the enforcement of the Constitutional Court judgment and laws, independent institutions and measures related to tax policy changes. In general, priorities for 2025 will be financed in the amount of 474.4 million euros, for 2026 in the amount of 475.2 million euros, for 2027 in the amount of 487.8 million and for 2028 in the amount of 428.9 million euros.
2024-09-19 22:26:27