Almost 60% of the movable cultural assets owned by the Ministry of Culture are undervalued

As part of a compliance audit mission at the Ministry of Culture, the Court of Accounts verified the way in which the state’s public and private heritage was managed, during the period 2023-2024. Significant and generalized non-conformities were found in relation to the audit criteria applied. The Court sent the entity a series of recommendations in order to remedy the identified deficiencies and mitigate risks.

Thus, the Court requested a comprehensive assessment of the movable cultural assets, including those not classified, in order to determine the classification priorities and ensure the adequate protection of the national cultural heritage. According to the audit, at the level of the ministry there is no centralized and updated technical-operational record of movable and immovable cultural assets from the state heritage, owned by the ministry and subordinate entities. This situation generates difficulties in monitoring and controlling these assets and can lead to losses or improper use of the national heritage.

„The audit team reported that approximately 60% of the movable cultural assets, owned by the MC and its subordinate institutions, have an accounting value less than or equal to 10 lei, being significantly undervalued. Also, approximately 97% of the movable cultural assets owned by the MC and its subordinate institutions are unclassified, contrary to the legal requirements regarding the protection of movable cultural heritage. In addition, situations of double classification were also identified, which affects the accuracy and correctness of the existing inventory,” a statement from the Court of Accounts reads.

Another recommendation concerns the evaluation of the safety systems at the museum level and the risks to which the assets are exposed, in order to decide the situations for which insurance is required.

The auditors noted the poor management of historical monuments in the public domain of the state and in the administration of the ministry and recommended its involvement in the protection of the national cultural heritage, the enhancement and integration of historical monuments in social and cultural life.

Following the checks carried out, it was found that real estate in the public domain of the state was rented in violation of the law and the management was ordered to enter into legality and pursue the collection of revenues due to the state budget.

The compliance audit identified non-conformities related to the organization of international exhibitions, as well as the temporary export of movable cultural assets and recommended improving the legislative framework, as well as the appropriate updating of internal procedures, by including specific security measures to protect movable cultural assets during international exhibitions.

„The report emphasizes the need for a sustained effort by the ministry, with the support and approval of the Ministry of Finance, to develop clear methodological norms regarding the accounting of movable cultural goods, in accordance with their particularities, as a result of the observation of situations in which cultural goods, with a special regime, were registered as consumable goods or inventory items,” the press release also states.