The Commission recommended withdrawing from the session the draft decision on the transition of the MART TV channel to full maintenance at the expense of the budget

The deputy commission on legality and transparency of the Mykolaiv city council did not support the decision to reform the communal TV channel MART, which involved turning it into a non-commercial communal enterprise, which is 100% financed from the city budget.

The corresponding decision was made on Monday, December 18, during the commission's meeting, NikVesti writes.

Tetiana Dmytrova, Acting Head of the Municipal Property Department of the City Council, noted that the draft decision provides for the renaming of the TV channel and changes in its charter, in accordance with the requirements of the law on media. The draft of the new statute provides for the introduction of a supervisory board and the appointment of the head of the enterprise on a competitive basis. It is also proposed to increase the size of the authorized capital by 5.7 million hryvnias due to monetary contributions received during 2020-2022.

Deputy Olena Kiseliova noted that changes regarding the reform of the TV channel must be carefully considered, as they involve placing a financial obligation on the local budget. She expressed doubts about the need to make such a decision in the context of the uncertainty of funding and the city's wartime capabilities.

«Today, we are essentially being pushed to make this decision, calling it such that we are talking about changing the name and changing the authorized capital, but unfortunately, this is not a sufficiently correct name for this project of the decision, because the essence of the actions that Mykolayiv city council proposes to us to take the council under martial law, essentially makes a decision regarding the reorganization of the MART TV channel. What do I understand by «organization», when the owner in the person of the local self-government body is determined for the future with the method of financing this enterprise. Today, this enterprise lives and works like a KP, the form of ownership is communal, yes, but it receives funds from the budget not on a mandatory basis, but within the framework of the program for the development of informational self-government, coverage of activities, etc. That is, today the KP can conduct commercial activities, receive funds from other sources, grants, but today in relation to this enterprise, the Mykolaiv City Council and taxpayers have the right to maintain and finance it, and if we change the form of ownership to «non-profit», then then we will already have a financing obligation. We have a communal institution, which must be 100% financed from the local budget, starting with salaries, ending with communal services and paying royalties for the use of intellectual property,» said the deputy.

As you know, the municipal enterprise «Teleradiocompaniia «MART» of the Mykolaiv Council addressed a letter to the mayor Oleksandr Sienkevych, in which he asks, when adopting changes to the target program for the development of the information and communication sphere, to take into account the company's calculations for financing from the city budget in 2024. Namely, to provide 12.7 million hryvnias in the city budget for financing the TV channel.

The head of the Publicity Commission emphasized that, taking into account the current state of Mykolaiv's budget, where funding will change significantly, it is ineffective to make a decision now to reform the utility company, allocating almost 13 million hryvnias for maintenance. In her opinion, such a decision can be made until the end of the war in Ukraine.

«It seems to me that if the legislator decided on a norm that obliges the local self-government body to make an appropriate decision regarding the reorganization of such a communal institution after the end of martial law in 6 months, then, apparently, the city of Mykolaiv in the conditions in which it is located, taking into account the state of the budget, where the funding has changed a little and it is not clear what it will be in the following periods, then it may not be appropriate to make such a decision right now. There will be no turning back, or rather there is, but it will be problematic enough if a situation arises that the city will not have the financial means to maintain this enterprise. Moreover, the legislator does not oblige the local self-government body to carry out 100% reorganization in this way. Including the transfer of this TV channel to the labor team, is it possible to realize private property. That is, other models that have not yet been worked out today, since this law is essentially an innovation and the implementation of its provisions is a practical way. Moreover, when there is no obligation, but there is a right that can be exercised over time, it seems to me that there is no need to rush to make a decision regarding imposing on the taxpayers of Mykolaiv the obligation to maintain the TV channel,» said Olena Kiseliova.

The deputy emphasized that there are other models of reorganization, such as the transfer of the TV channel to the labor team or the realization of private property, which have not been properly considered until now.

«As for the activities of the MART shopping center, it can do and work on the existing legal grounds, and it will be financed by the city council in the manner previously determined. Nothing will happen if this decision is not made before the new year 2024. I will not now comment on the manner in which efforts were made to reach this decision. And we, as a body of deputies, found out about it very late, and the public generally does not know anything about it. We have already taken unpopular decisions, for example, to cut maternity hospitals due to lack of funding. Therefore, it seems to me that the TV channel can work as it did before, without imposing an additional financial burden on the local budget,» added Olena Kiseliova.

After the discussion, 1 deputy voted «for», «against» — 1, and «abstained» — 3 deputies voted for the approval of the draft decision and the recommendation to bring it to the session scheduled for December 23. Thus, the decision was not accepted.

Also, the commission with 4 votes «in favor» recommended the department of communal property to withdraw this draft decision from consideration of the session of the Mykolaiv City Council. One commission member voted against such a recommendation.

For wages, the company is asking for 8.3 million hryvnias for 2024. Of these, 1.5 million hryvnias are charged to the payroll fund. 5.3 million hryvnias is the official salary of the company's employees. 407 thousand hryvnias — director's bonus. Sick leave, vacation pay and fees for participating in the creation of TV programs are also provided for.

We will remind that in November, the MART TV channel purchased a 5 by 3 meter LED screen for 1.5 million hryvnias.

According to the search and analytical system 007.org.ua, from the beginning of 2023, the MART TV channel received 5.5 million hryvnias from the budget of Mykolaiv and the Mykolaiv region, as well as the state budget, under contracts for the production of stories and posting of information. Most of the activities of the TV channel were financed by the Executive Committee of the Mykolaiv City Council, allocating a total of 3.5 million hryvnias.

It was previously reported that the municipal enterprise of the Mykolaiv City Council «Teleradiokompaniia «MART» congratulated and praised the mayor of Mykolaiv Oleksandr Sienkevych, who was elected to the board of the international movement of mayors for the fight against climate change at the summit in Dubai.