An official source at the Ministry of Economic Development said LE38 million has been allocated to the fine arts sector for Egypt's current fiscal year. The source said the financial allocation discredits claims of shortfalls in culture-aimed investments.

The funds target; renovations at the Foustat Traditional Crafts Centre, the Ahmed Shawqi Museum, the Mahmoud Mukhtar Museum and Hassan Fathy Museum.

The source noted that Ministry of Culture appropriations are made according to an annual plan. He added that the Ministry is flexible enough to transfer allocations from one purpose to another, pointing out that this only requires notifying the Ministry of Economic Development.

A Ministry of Culture report claimed investments for cultural purposes during the 2010-2011 fiscal year stood at LE1.7 billion, up by LE500 million from last year. The museums sector alone obtained the largest portion, worth LE721 million, according to the report. Investments for the Ministry's administrative bodies reached LE70 million during 2010-2011, of which LE38 million is allocated to the fine arts sector and LE2.85 million to the Supreme Council for Culture. LE2.5 million is also designated to the cultural production sector.

Investments aimed at Egyptian and Greek antiquities reached LE47.1 million, compared to LE22 million for Islamic and Coptic antiquities, according to the report. The report said the culture palaces sector enjoyed investments of LE60 million, while the National Library and Archives received LE19.5 million.

Four hundred and thirty two cultural and archeological cites are to be renovated throughout Egypt.

Translated from the Arabic Edition.

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