By Tom Westcott.
Tripoli 3 May 2013:
The Ministry of Culture has pledged LD 10 million of its budget to the Department of Antiquities, to help preserve and protect Libya’s archaeological sites and historical treasures.
“How much of this money will be spent on protecting sites depends on the plan of the Department of Antiquities,” Culture Minister Habib Al-Amin said at a press conference this week. “We have many targets and many priorities.”
The Department’s chairman, Saleh Agab, told the Libya Herald that the LD 10 million, “is not enough, but it is a start.” He said that the priorities were archaeology and capacity-building through training.
“Documentation is also essential to the preservation and protection of Libya’s heritage,” Agab said. Inventories and documentation as well as storage facilities for the country’s valuable artefacts are, at present, inadequate, even at Tripoli Museum.
Agab said that the new Ministry of Culture was “doing a lot” and had “promised to make heritage a priority.”
Al-Amin told the Libya Herald that the Ministry of Culture may soon be able to increase the amount of money for the Department of Antiquities. Next week, the General National Congress would, he said, be releasing a more funds to give extra money to “emergency cases.” [/restrict]
