The culture voucher will not be spent "on other things".
That's what the Minister of Culture, Marta Suplicy, guarantees. When swearing in the new members of the National Commission for Cultural Incentives (CNIC), she countered criticisms that workers will use the culture voucher "to spend the money on other things," citing that, at the beginning of the Bolsa Família program, if the idea was to "buy yogurt," for example, what ended up happening was the adoption of the habit of buying basic food products.
Lourenço Canuto
Reporter from Agência Brasil
Brasilia - When swearing in the new members of the National Commission for Cultural Incentives (Cnic) today (31), the Minister of Culture, Marta Suplicy, countered criticisms that workers will use the culture voucher "to spend the money on other things". She cited that at the beginning of the Bolsa Família Program the idea was "to buy yogurt", for example, later the habit of buying basic food products was adopted.
Workers with formal employment contracts earning up to five minimum wages will be entitled to the culture voucher. They will receive an electronic card with a credit of R$ 50 to spend on cultural services and products, such as concerts, movies, exhibitions, theater, and to buy books and magazines. The ministry expects approximately 17 million workers to receive the benefit, increasing cultural consumption by up to R$ 7,2 billion per year.
At the event, the minister asked representatives from various segments of the cultural sector to be "generous with groups that have fewer resources," so that they have the opportunity to bring their art to the public. The CNIC (National Commission for Cultural Incentives) is composed of representatives from all branches of culture (music, theater, film, etc.), with a two-year term. According to the minister, CNIC members and other representatives of the cultural sector should make the best use of public funds to support and promote culture in the country.
Regarding the resources from the National Culture Fund that will be transferred through the National Culture Plan, Marta Suplicy explained that they will go directly to the cities that adhere to the plan. For this, it is necessary that the cities have management plans creating a local organizing council. One of the objectives of the plan is to revitalize cultural diversity in the municipalities. "We have to prepare ourselves culturally for the World Cup and the Olympics, in order to competently show foreign tourists that we have much to show beyond football, beaches and samba," the minister argued. The plan was presented yesterday (30) by the minister at the National Meeting with New Mayors.
According to Eduardo Saron, president of the Itaú Cultural Foundation, the plan "will be a new revolution for the world of culture, and the CNIC will play a very important role in achieving the goals set for the next ten years." Actor Odilon Wagner, president of the Association of Independent Theater Producers of São Paulo, highlighted the role of the CNIC: "The cultural community is noticing the effects of the commission's work in recent times, as a dialogue has now been established that was previously scarce, as well as financial resources."
Edited by: Carolina Pimentel