The government wants to abolish the Design Center, it will use its budget better

Brno - The government plans to abolish the Brno Design Center. The institution is under the Ministry of Industry and Trade, and according to Minister Martin Říman, the Design Center is a "forgotten Mohican" in public administration and its operation is unnecessarily costly. The annual budget of 20 million is to be preferably allocated to direct grants for artists, Říman said today in Brno.
    The center's director, Karel Kobosil, described the minister's decision as amateurish and unprofessional. He told ČTK that he does not know the specific form of the minister's plan or the date when the center is supposed to cease to exist. The organization he leads is reportedly still providing the minister's deputy with documents describing its work and results. However, he claims he does not have any official letter indicating that the minister is considering the abolition of the organization.
    The director of the Design Center does not understand the planned move. According to him, the organization is successful and has international renown. Furthermore, developed industrial countries, according to Kobosil, have state organizations that take care of design. "Design centers are not for design but for entrepreneurs and manufacturers, to apply design as a tool for competitiveness. We are succeeding in this," Kobosil stated.
    The Design Center, which employs 19 people, is the only institution of its kind in the Czech Republic. Its task is to support Czech design, organize exhibitions, seminars, author competitions, and provide an information and consulting center. However, its activities are deemed redundant by the government. "Every such organization must be able to defend its place in the sun; in this case, we are not convinced of the necessity of the center," noted Prime Minister Mirek Topolánek.
    In the past, the financial office found several mistakes in the institution’s management. In 2004, the Design Center had unauthorized use of over 123,000 CZK from the state budget, and another 105,000 CZK in the following year. A control by the Ministry of Industry and Trade in mid-2005 detected no errors.