Antiquities chief warns cuts to department budget will come at a price

The director of the antiquities department Dr George Georgiou has warned that continued cuts to its budget will have consequences for the protection of Cyprus’ cultural heritage. “The continued compression of spending on antiquities will not be without a price,” Georgiou told the House finance committee, accusing the government of using “creative accounting” to present the department’s reduced funding. The deputy ministry’s proposed budget for next year stands at €64.3 million, down from its present allowance of €65.7 million, however, Deputy Minister Clea Hadjistefanou Papaellina said the previous year’s allocation included €2.2 million for cultural events during Cyprus’ EU council presidency. Excluding that amount, the next year’s budget represents an increase of €820,000, she said. The antiquities department has been allocated €23.6 million, including €19.9 million in recurrent expenditure and €3.8 million for development projects. Akel MP Christos Christofides questioned the government’s commitment to culture, saying the Deputy Ministry’s share of the state budget had fallen from 0.62 per cent to 0.45 per cent. He also criticised reductions in funding for cultural grant programmes, including support for theatre productions and contemporary cultural creation. Christofides said Cyprus ranked near the bottom in Europe in terms of the proportion of public spending devoted to culture. The ‘contemporary culture department’ is set to receive €21.1 million, of which €15.6 million is earmarked for development expenditure. Its director, Ioanna Hadjicosti, said €300,000 had been cut from sponsorship programmes, with reductions spread across the various schemes. Papaellina defended the ministry’s use of its available resources, saying they were being fully utilised to modernise cultural infrastructure and protect the island’s heritage. She also said the ministry was reviewing sponsorship criteria in response to feedback from cultural organisations. The committee also heard that completion of the new archaeological museum has been delayed to February 3, 2027, representing a 209-day extension to the original timetable. Director general George Papageorgiou said a further 18 months will be required to transfer antiquities into the building, She also confirmed that the ministry’s annual contribution to Limassol’s Rialto Theatre was €120,000, with state funding due to end by 2029 under the agreement with the municipality.