The reason for the reaction was the statements of the Minister of Culture Evtim Miloshev and the data that appeared in the public space about the accumulated losses in the NDK. However, the company claims that such estimates give an incomplete picture of its real condition.
According to the management, the accounting losses, which are often at the center of criticism, are mainly related to depreciation of the building fund, and not to the current activity of the institution. The NDK states that similar losses have been reported since the company was established in 2011, regardless of who manages it.
At the same time, management points to indicators that it believes show an improvement in the financial situation. According to the company’s data, the funds available on the accounts have increased from about BGN 7.5 million at the beginning of 2024 to nearly BGN 16 million by the middle of 2026. An increase in revenues from the main activity, as well as a reduction in the operating loss, have also been reported.
The position comes amid increased attention to the management of the NPC, including the amount of management remuneration and the use of company cars. The company responds that salaries are determined according to the rules for state-owned enterprises and do not differ from practices in other public companies.
The management also used the occasion to outline its future plans. Among them are the large-scale digitization of the NDK and the Festival and Congress Center in Varna, the construction of its own ticketing system and the modernization of the technological infrastructure.
The NDK also criticizes the Ministry of Culture, claiming that until the last public statements, no official working meeting was held between the minister and the company’s executive director. From there, they declare readiness for a conversation, but insist that the debate be conducted on the basis of financial statements and documents.
The dispute is not just about the numbers
Behind the exchange of criticisms between the Ministry of Culture and the leadership of the National Palace of Culture is a broader question – by what criteria should one of the largest cultural institutions in the country be evaluated. On the one hand, there are accounting losses that have been accumulating for years and are being used as an argument for the need for management changes. On the other hand, there are the operational indicators that the management emphasizes – revenue growth, increase in available funds and lack of state subsidy.
The dispute also shows a different approach to the role of the NDK. Although the company is state-owned, it functions as a commercial enterprise and must provide a significant part of its income independently. At the same time, the NDK performs cultural and social functions that can hardly be measured solely by the financial result.
That is why the debate surrounding the NPC goes beyond the question of whether the company is making a profit or a loss. It raises the topic of how the state should manage its large cultural institutions, what goals it sets for them and what indicators measure their effectiveness. Against this background, the published position of the NDK is not only a response to specific criticisms, but also an attempt to impose its own reading of the data at a time when the future of the company’s management is under increased public and political attention.
