City Hall has pledged to find a way to raise over 30 million baht in funding for the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre (BACC) after the gallery failed to receive its yearly budget due to a new regulation.
Authorities earlier denied the BACC's request for its 2019 fiscal year budget, saying details of art projects it had proposed for financial support were incomplete, a meeting chaired by deputy Bangkok governor Thaweesak Lertprapan was told on Monday.
The requirement was added to the city's spending ordinance after the City Council and the Office of the Auditor General considered a previous procedure that allowed the Bangkok governor to ask for the budget was "not legitimate".
This explains why Bangkok governor Aswin Kwanmuang failed to get the budget approved by the council last month.
Under the new law, the BACC foundation, which is appointed to run the centre, is required to propose art and exhibition projects to a committee set up by the Culture, Sports and Tourism Department as part of its budget request.
"We have to work together find a way out so that the BACC can still operate," Mr Thaweesak said.
The meeting yesterday agreed with three measures to help the centre.
Officials from the city's finance, budget and legal affairs departments will discuss whether City Hall is authorised to distribute money classified as "urgent budget" to the BACC.
They are expected to make a decision on an amount of between 30 and 40 million baht by next week.
In the meantime, the BACC will draw up proposals for new art projects and ask the committee to grant its 2020 fiscal year budget instead, the deputy governor said.
To help the centre meet its current financial commitments, the Culture, Sports and Tourism Department will be asked to pay money in advance, Mr Thaweesak said.
The BACC had begun making provisions to tighten its belt.
"We've never faced the [money] problem before," Pharadet Phayakwichian, a board member of the BACC foundation said, blaming the law change for the difficulty.
Last year City Hall delayed disbursing its budget to the centre, citing the poor performance of the foundation. Its move put the BACC into the red.
