ZAGREB, Sept 3 (Hina) - The Croatian parliament on Wednesday endorsed a bill amending the Law on the Protection and Preservation of Cultural Monuments, as the first in a set of European laws that are discussed at the ongoing
extraordinary sitting. The bill envisages the introduction of taxes for cultural monuments.
ZAGREB, Sept 3 (Hina) - The Croatian parliament on Wednesday
endorsed a bill amending the Law on the Protection and Preservation
of Cultural Monuments, as the first in a set of European laws that
are discussed at the ongoing extraordinary sitting.
The bill envisages the introduction of taxes for cultural
monuments. #L#
Introducing the bill, Culture Minister Antun Vujic said that the
incumbent government had invested much more in the preservation of
cultural heritage than the previous ones, but that 200 million kuna
of budgetary funds, along with donations, was not enough for the
long-term renovation of cultural monuments in need of repair.
The government has therefore resorted to some changes in the
funding, based on the model of some European countries, and
suggested, among other things, that physical and legal persons
performing business activities in buildings or areas declared
cultural monuments should pay special taxes.
Vujic said the taxes would total from three to ten kuna per one
square metre of space, depending on decisions by the town or
municipality on the territory of which the said cultural monument
is located.
The minister said that with a tax of three or seven kuna per square
metre, 2.5 or seven million kuna could be raised annually for the
maintenance of Diocletian's Palace in Split. Some three million
kuna could be raised in a similar way for the preservation of
Dubrovnik's cultural heritage, he said.
(hina) rml sb