Museums to Reap All They Sow

Following efforts by Iran’s Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization, museums can from now on receive the entire revenue that they earn with no percentage going to the government budget. Formerly, the earnings of museums used to be added to the country’s general revenues and an amount of between 60% and 70% were eventually paid back to them, , ISNA reported.

Now, Ali Asghar Mounesan, the ICHHTO chief, asserts that he has managed to open a specific account for museum earnings so that their income will not be transferred to the government’s coffers. As a matter of course, all revenues must first be deposited to the treasury to ensure proper official oversight, he explained, noting that the specific account will enable the return of the whole deposited amount to museums.

“This will encourage museums to boost their income and will allow them to spend more for development and promotion.”

He did not elaborate on the process of reimbursement. “It does not matter when the revenues will return, but the very fact that the money will not be counted as general [state] revenues is a good thing,” he said.