The weekend gong performance always attracts many tourists - Photo: QT
According to the Gia Lai Provincial People's Committee, some newspapers have recently reported on the temporary suspension of gong performances on weekends due to lack of funding. The content stated is inaccurate and has had a negative impact on public opinion.
The province said the State guarantees the budget.
The provincial People's Committee said that the weekend gong performance has been approved by the province to become a regular cultural event. It creates an attraction, introduces and promotes the Gia Lai gong culture.
The program belongs to the project of Preserving and promoting the heritage value of the Central Highlands gong cultural space in Gia Lai province in the period of 2023 - 2025, guaranteed by the state budget and other legally mobilized sources from 2023.
Regarding this activity, the Provincial People's Committee assigned the Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism to organize an assessment and supplement activities to improve quality, and propose contents if they exceed authority.
Therefore, Gia Lai province requested the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism to report on the tasks assigned by the province; and the Department of Finance to report on the allocated funds and implementation of unused cultural tasks to return to the state budget in 2023.
Consulting and proposing on budget for implementing plans for contents related to approved projects, including weekend gong activities.
Along with that, the Gia Lai Provincial People's Committee also requested the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism to inspect and report on the case of a civil servant under the management of the department who was not assigned to speak and provide information to the press but had a series of opinions and comments that had not been checked or verified related to the industry's plan, causing negative effects on public opinion, and proposed handling.
Passionate people are shocked and saddened.
Although the document of Gia Lai Provincial People's Committee did not clearly state the name of the official of Gia Lai Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Mr. Nguyen Quang Tue - head of the cultural management department of this department, who informed about the temporary suspension of the program due to financial difficulties - said that he and his family were very sad and a bit worried when receiving the document from the province.
Mr. Tue reaffirmed that the program ran out of money by the end of 2023.
By early 2024, Mr. Tue mobilized money from his family and borrowed from some acquaintances for 2 months, spending nearly 170 million VND, then had to stop because he ran out of money.
He said he was quite shocked to receive this feedback because he had put a lot of effort and passion into building the program.
"Every Saturday at 4-5pm I run down to take care of and monitor the organization of the gong show, and then after the performance is over I go home at 11-12pm. Now that I have received this information, my wife and children ask me if it is worth it?" - he said.
According to Mr. Tue, the main issue here is to determine whether the weekend gong program is a necessary and useful cultural activity, and from there, whether to debate this or try to resolve the existing problems so that the program can quickly resume operations.
Not completed the profile so not deployed yet?
On the same day, speaking to reporters, Mr. Tran Ngoc Nhung - Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Gia Lai province - said that he had just received a document from the province, but because he was busy in a meeting, he could not respond specifically.
Gia Lai province artisans perform gong art in Pleiku city - Photo: HCĐ
Previously, answering Tuoi Tre Online on February 29, Mr. Nhung said the suspension of gong activities on weekends was due to lack of funding for operations.
The reason is that the program is maintained by socialized funding. In the last 6 months of 2023, the program will be supported by the State (project 6).
As of early 2024, the project is still in the process of completing the application and has not been implemented yet. When funding is available, the program will continue.
Central Highlands - a microcosm of Southeast Asian cultureSource
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