Culture Ministry backs 23 procurements worth €34.1 million by its agencies

Latvia's Ministry of Culture has reviewed 23 procurements by its subordinate institutions, worth a total of €34.1 million excluding value added tax (VAT), and found all of them legally justified, useful and permissible. This is stated in the ministry's informative report, which the government conceptually endorsed on Tuesday. The outcome means the planned and already launched procurements will go ahead.

The ministry carried out the review to fulfil a Cabinet of Ministers task to re-examine public procurements, with the aim of ensuring economical use of state funds.

Which procurements were reviewed

Of the ministry's 27 subordinate institutions, nine are planning or have already launched procurements of goods or services with an estimated contract value of at least €140,000, or construction procurements of at least €1 million. The ministry itself has not started and does not plan procurements of this size.

The nine are the Culture Information Systems Centre (KISC), the National Library of Latvia (LNB), the arts education competence centres "Latgale Music and Art Secondary School" and "National Art Secondary School", the Art Academy of Latvia, the Latvian Academy of Culture, the National Archives of Latvia, the National History Museum of Latvia and the Latvian National Centre for Culture.

The combined contract value of the reviewed procurements is €34,106,174 excluding VAT. Funding comes from the state basic budget or from European Union policy instruments and other foreign financial assistance co-financing or financing projects and activities.

Information technology purchases

In information and communication technology, KISC plans four procurements worth €2.1 million excluding VAT. These include extending Microsoft licences, buying and installing computer equipment, and ensuring the operation of connections to the unified library data transmission network.

The National Library plans five procurements totalling €3.6 million excluding VAT. It intends to buy servers and network equipment, upgrade its fire safety and public address system, purchase video storage equipment and cameras, and replace network equipment.

The ministry considers all the launched and planned procurements essential for ensuring the continuity of cultural sector services. It justifies them by public interest and the need to guarantee uninterrupted operation of the institutions.