Bratislava will receive a total of €15 million from the government. At the same time, it will not have to pay back the financial aid amounting to €10 million, which it received in 2014 and 2015.
PM Peter Pellegrini proposed to allocate €10 million in the state budget to finance Bratislava's activities.
“Bratislava will receive a proper budget contribution of €10 million for the first time next year, and I expect that every government to come will respect this rule,” he told the press conference, as quoted by the SITA newswire.
The cabinet also proposed to provide a subsidy of more than €3 million for the city boroughs. Eventually, the sum was increased to €5 million. As a result, the capital will receive €15 million in total.
Bratislava Mayor Matúš Vallo has welcomed the state financial support, and the forgiveness of the debt.
Several projects in the pipeline
The money should be used to finance various projects. This includes the reconstruction of St Martin’s Cathedral, on which the government originally planned to allocate €150,000. It eventually increased the sum to €650,000.
Moreover, if the city co-finances the completion of Freedom Square’s reconstruction, the government is ready to provide €500,000 for the reconstruction of the fountain. The rest should be paid by the city and the developer. Nové Mesto borough should receive €300,000 to start the reconstruction of a primary school situated on the premises of the National Football Stadium, Pellegrini specified, as reported by SITA.
Related articleChristmas markets in Bratislava are in full swing Read more Moreover, the city will finance the planting of about 10,000 new trees, the reconstruction of Sad Janka Kráľa Park, the purchase of new buses for public transport, the reconstruction of tram rails and roads, and measures to strengthen safety in Bratislava.
The government wants to support the establishment of a brand new cultural centre in the city. Currently, there is no representative cultural and congress venue at the level of similar facilities in other capitals.
Pellegrini expects intensive talks with city representatives on possibilities of where and under which conditions the centre might be built, as reported by the TASR newswire.
28. Nov 2019 at 12:15 | Compiled by Spectator staff
