Cultural Fund out of cash

The Central Cultural Fund (CCF) has appealed to the Treasury for money as it has run out of funds to pay the salaries of its employees for this month, CCF accountant K.K. Jayathilake said.

The main income of the CCF is from the entrance fees charged from tourists visiting cultural sites. According to CCF statistics, the general income for the first three months of this year was only Rs.78 million, when an income of Rs.446 million was anticipated.

“In 2004, the income for the first three months was Rs.167 million but in 2005 it was reduced to Rs. 48 million as tourism declined due to the tsunami,” Mr. Jayathilake said. In 2006 the income of the first three months increased to Rs.150 million, but this year it has again gone down, he said.

CCF Director Genera Dr. W.H. Wijepala said that even with the tight monetary situation; it was hoped to carry on work on the Abhayagiriya, Jetavanaramaya and Galle Fort conservation projects.“Our main income is from the entrance fees charged from tourists visiting cultural sites, but with the decrease in tourist arrivals, the income too has gone down. Not only the CCF, all parties in tourism affiliated ventures are facing monetary problems these days as tourism has declined,” he said.

He said generally tourist arrivals dropped during this period of the year.“Normally we meet our expenditure during this period of the year by using our savings, but we paid the salaries of the workers from our savings during the post-tsunami period when tourist arrivals decreased. So this year we are running out of our savings as well,” he said.