Skopje, 28 October 2024 (MIA) - A new program on tourism, with focus on cultural tourism, new education laws, including a law on textbooks, construction of 30 sports halls, capital investments in sports, as well as financial resources and assistance for clubs, federations and individuals are part of the priority activities that the ministers announced in their address at the event for the "Platform: 100% Dedicated to You," held in the Government on Monday, on the topic of "Measures and policies for the development of education, culture, tourism, and sport."

Minister for Culture and Tourism Zoran Ljutkov said that that the biggest issue the Minitry faces are inoperable institutions and lack of sufficient financial resources.

"We had no funds until June or July for capital investments and salaries. Our goal then was to provide those funds with the Budget revision, which we had very little time to come up with. Therefore, in addition to program activities we were also dealing with halted projects. We didn’t and still don’t have a national strategy for cultural development, a new law on culture, which is why or priority goal was to ensure payment of the salaries in the amount of Mden 273 million by the end of the year," Ljutkov explained.

He also brought up Eurimages, pointing out that EUR 150,000 were supposed to be acquired for the filming of TV series for the Agency for Film. The Government adopted the decision in 2024, but neither an agreement was signed, nor have funds been secured yet.

"With great efforts and by allocating funds we secured the EUR 150,000 and I expect the agreement with European institutions will be signed by the end of the week, so that from 2025 we will already have one serious production," Ljutkov said.

In terms of tourism, which is not under the Ministry of Culture, the Minister informed that there are 20 days left to take over tourism and start preparing the joint program for 2025.

The program will focus developing cultural tourism, and according to previous statistics the country has had the most economic benefit from cultural tourism and visits to historical monuments and archeological sites.

"My priority will be cultural tourism development, especially during the summer period of transit tourism, with visits to a large number of archeological and natural sites, developing mountain tourism, vine tourism, and hospitality industry. Therefore, the focus now will be on developing transit tourism," the Culture Minister stated.

Minister of Education and Science Vesna Janevska pointed out that constructions of universities and student housing will continue.

"We will also continue with infrastructure projects, including 30 new sport facilities for healthy psycho-physical development of pupils and students. Education investments will continue to intensify. We have undertaken additional activities with the Ministry for Sport. We have also had serious discussions with the Culture Minister with the aim of merging education and culture," Janevska stressed.

New laws will be adopted soon, she added, including a Law on textbooks.

"You are already familiar with the five new laws, and now we've added a sixth one- the Law on textbooks, followed by new supplementary by-laws, new concepts, and maybe even new textbooks, but it all depends on the Bureau for Development of Education and Center for Vocational Studies. We have previously had a 20-page textbook, with dozens of pages of pictures on similar topics. We have used all the permits we had and printed as much as we could," Janevska added.

Although no specific textbooks have been printed for third and fourth year of vocational secondary school so far, but once approved they will be printed.

"If none are approved, we will think of other options to provide textbooks," noted Janevska.

According to her, it is extremely important for the state to have as few political changes in education as possible.

"Macedonia needs a special declaration in which all political stakeholders will agree that changes are necessary, but in a small percentage appropriate to the needs, and not according to the ideas of certain governments or policies. Here we will set the criteria and principles according to which education will take place in a medium-term, preferably long-term period," stressed Janevska.

She also reminded of the increase in teachers' salaries, which according to her is a serious contribution to education.

Minister for Sport Borko Ristovski said that they are focused on restoring public trust in the ministry, and that they are ensuring financial assistance for clubs, federations, and individuals, including the opening of a new project: "Support for Top Sport."

"We had a complete reawakening of institutions and employees, a complete analysis of everything done so far. We started a new project "Support for Top Sport," which includes the teams and individuals that complete on the international scene and they received additional assistance of EUR 84 million. During the week we allocated the rest of the Mden 550 million to clubs, federations and individuals, leftover from the previous Government," Ristovski noted.

He announced that a new program by the end of the year for developing women's sport, development and support for young talents.

"We will open this season with a serious sum of funds, a total of EUR 14 million. Six months would have passed until the end of the fiscal year. This means that the Government and Ministry for Sport, in just six months, allocated around EUR 14 million to sports, which was supposed to be done by the previous government," Ristovski explained.

The ministry's focus, he added, are capital investment, and by the end of 2024 they will start 8 capital projects, some new, some reconstructions of facilities important for sport. This includes reconstructions of the Rasadnik sport facility, new athletic trail in Gevgelija, and reconstruction of the Novo Selo sport facility. ssh/ba/

Photo: Government