Prague, Dec 22 (CTK) – Czech Education, Youth and Sports Minister Katerina Valachova (Social Democrats, CSSD) said yesterday she will ask for 7.5 billion crowns to be earmarked for sports within the 2018 state budget, which would be a 25-percent increase compared with the sum projected for 2017.
Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka (CSSD), who attended the ceremonial opening of new premises of the Education Ministry’s sports and youth section together with Valachova, supported her plan to increase the spending on sports.
This year, the state, towns and regions’ spending on sports was projected at 3.7 billion crowns, and it will rise by 6 billion next year, Valachova said, referring to the 2017 budget law.
She said the trend of increasing sports spending is positive, but she does not consider the rise in 2017 sufficient.
“For 2018, we definitely want to achieve a much higher budget sum [to be spent on sports]. I think that 7.5 billion crowns is a minimum [for us to seek],” Valachova said.
Sobotka said he wants to support her demand on the government level.
“It is important to maintain the rising trajectory. Furthermore, I believe that 7.5 billion is a sum that may produce a visible effect,” he said, adding that the cabinet wants to continue its programmes in support of sports activities of children and youth.
($1=25.927 crowns)
