Culture, Latvia, Markets and Companies

Three or four J3B employees, who are currently working on the Latvian National Library project, will continue their work at the Ministry of Culture, whereas other agency staff members will have to find other jobs.

At the beginning of this year, Culture Ministry said that J3B functions would be transferred to the Finance Ministry's state property management company Valsts nekustamie ipasumi (VNI), and at least some part of the J3B employees could continue working there.

According to the Culture Ministry's report to Saeima, on March 1 J3B had a staff of 23 plus one vacancy at the Legal Department. The agency's salary fund for 2009 was reduced 22.4% to LVL 336,184. The agency employees receive gross wages of LVL 472 to LVL 2,413 per month.

The total budget of J3B in 2008 was LVL 811,379, whereas this year it is LVL 688,740.

The new minister of culture underlined that Latvia does need a new national library, a new concert hall and a new contemporary art museum, however, due to the financial crisis, only one of these projects – the national library – can be continued at this time.

Dalderis informs that he does not plan to revise the January 30 decree issued by then acting Minister of Culture Edgars Zalans (People's Party), assigning the Culture Ministry's State Secretary Solvita Zvidrina to ensure that the contract on the construction project for the Riga Concert Hall, signed by J3B and the AB. SZK architect offices, is terminated.