Interview with the Minister of Culture, Robert Alagjozovski

The annual program of the Ministry of Culture caused a storm of reactions: Unfair competition, stimulation of unknown companies – the Macedonian Association of Publishers reacts. Conflict of interests of commission members from various areas, not transparency, courtship – are part of the criticism of the members. But how can a child performer and songs for UCK get 300,000 denars against many eminent singers? Are there any abuses in the allocation of funds from the Annual Program?
Guest at Top Topic is the Minister of Culture Robert Alagjozovski.

From this interview, inter alia, the Minister stated:

As a solution to the State Archives, we are also considering the starting building of the Archive, but it has been changed from before and is not the most ideal solution
We have a great budget, one of the better in the region, but the internal structure of the budget is inherited and inherited debts. We will change the structure of the budget.
There are over 27 festivals in the drama industry. Is this normal in a country of 2 million inhabitants? We are facing a situation in which we will have to deal with the wrong policy. We have too many festivals.
For Wigan, it’s a technical mistake. The artist received a reward in two areas. He asked for 200,000 and got 80,000 to record a CD, and asked for 400,000, and received 300,000 for a promotional concert.
The productions do not have enough funds to organize the concerts. The salaries are small and have no commercial logic to organize concerts. Subsidy will affect the price of the map.
The public and national interest is important, and this enters into the assessment why a private and commercial company, such as Avalon, receives a subsidy.
In culture it is not crucial how the citizen association is registered. Everyone has the right to apply.
There were only three cases of conflict of interest. Saso Kokalanov publicly withdrew, while Toni Vasic and Ivana Vaseva abandoned both projects at the level of all other supported projects – 60,000 den.
This year there is no money for royalties.
Robert Alagjozovski: Unable to change the Annual Program, which we will begin to do from March, we tried to eliminate the anomalies established in previous years – that they are financed for some to the detriment of others. We tried to give it everywhere ie. scattering budget.
The Annual Program has made the best estimate, and we will solve all remarks in an appeal procedure.