NGOs get less for social affairs, more for sport

Prague, Feb 19 (CTK) - The subsidies given to Czech nonprofit organisations for social affairs and employment went down in the past few years, while those for sports and physical training rose, according to a report on the financing of NGOs in 2011 that the cabinet is to discuss on Wednesday.

More money was sent to sports than to social affairs in 2011, but two years before it was the other way round.

The subsidies for social affairs and pro-employment projects reached 3.55 billion crowns in the Czech Republic in 2009, compared to 3.37 billion in 2010 and 3.09 billion in 2011.

In 2011, 3.67 billion crowns went to physical training, which meant that the sport subsidies grew again, as they amounted to 3.34 billion in 2010 and to 2.93 billion in 2009.

The subsidies for culture and heritage protection were 1.11 billion crowns in 2011, compared to 1.17 and 1.12 billion crowns in 2010 and 2009, respectively.

The total subsidies went up from 10.18 billion in 2009 to 10.86 billion crowns in 2011.

In 2011, a slight majority of the subsidies were from the state (5.74 billion). This money went to 8403 projects and 3036 recipients.

The rest were given by regional and municipal authorities and special state funds.

While state subsidies did not grow, regions and municipalities sent more money to NGOs in 2011.

Two years ago, 103,735 nongovernmental organisations were registered in the Czech Republic, including 96,136 civic associations, 4251 church organisations, 1785 public benefit corporations and 11129 foundations and 434 endowment funds.

The unemployment rate and the money paid out in unemployment benefits have been growing in the recent years due to the economic crisis. In January 2013, 585,800 job seekers were registered by Czech labour offices, which is 47,000 more than one year before.