The Minister of Culture Nayden Todorov gave full transparency about what is happening.
“If reliable information comes out that I am not doing my job as a minister, I will leave.” This is what the Acting Minister of Culture Nayden Todorov said in “Why, Mr. Minister”.
An inspection ordered by Prime Minister Dimitar Glavchev showed systemic violations and illegal spending of public funds in the Ministry of Culture. This was revealed in a report of the Chief Inspectorate of the Council of Ministers.
We are talking about officials in the ministry exercising control over the activities of the Theatre-Musical and Philharmonic Center in Razgrad and the Rhodope Drama Theater in Smolyan.
“When the Prime Minister handed me the report on Friday, he said there was a problem inside – I signed a document approving these payments. Coming home to the ministry, I was in shock. I immediately checked the document in question. What I approve are not the expenses incurred, but the measures that should be taken as a result of the fact that such expenses have been incurred,” explained Todorov.
According to him, there are three measures. The first is to demand explanations from all directors who, as of September 30, have exceeded 75% of their annual budget. The second measure is the dispatch of the Inspectorate of the Ministry of Culture to all state cultural institutes in the performing arts. The third is putting limits on the expenses of cultural institutes.
“A minister signs between 500 and 1,200 documents a day, but I am still careful about what I sign. So I checked right away and it turned out to be something completely different. I assume that somehow the prime minister was misled”, Nayden Todorov believes.
“If Prime Minister Glavchev believes that I have something to do with the draining of these funds, he is obliged to ask for my resignation. I will ask for an investigation from the highest instance of everything that happened, and if there is the slightest doubt about my work, I will leave,” said the Minister of Culture.
He added that he is ready to bring the prosecutor’s office into the Ministry of Culture to carry out an inspection.
According to Todorov, the report does not specify who, by law, should control the activities of cultural institutions. The document says that the control “is carried out formally”.
“There is clearly a lack of control and at the end of the investigation it will become clear. By order, the relevant deputy minister is responsible for control. This is Ilko Ganev. However, these percentage increases have been happening over the years, and he was not deputy minister at the time,” explained Minister Todorov.
In the report, the Chief Inspectorate of the Ministry of Culture also makes recommendations for seeking disciplinary responsibility from the Secretary General of the Ministry of Culture, Todor Keranov, and from the Director of the Performing Arts and Art Education Directorate, Eliyanka Mihailova.
“As early as Monday, a disciplinary council will be convened to hold them accountable,” said the Minister of Culture.
Nayden Todorov was adamant that the system needs reform because it “suggests opportunities for crime”.
#Minister #Todorov #categorical #reform #system
Who is the Minister of Culture in Bulgaria?
At a succession ceremony today, 9 April 2024, at the Ministry of Culture, the new Minister of Culture, Nayden Todorov, took over from the incumbent, Krastyu Krastev. As the website editor for world-today-news.com, I would like to bring two guests to provide their perspectives on the current situation with the Minister of Culture, Nayden Todorov.
Guest 1: Minister Nayden Todorov, your statement about being transparent and leaving if you are not doing your job has drawn attention. Can you elaborate on how you plan to implement this? Additionally, can you shed light on the systemic violations and spending of public funds that have come to light?
Guest 2: As a cultural critic and observer, what do you think about the reforms mentioned by Minister Todorov? Do you believe that there is a need for change in the system, and if so, what should those changes entail? How can we ensure transparency and accountability in the Ministry of Culture?
