The Alhambra increases its budget in 2009 and it finalizes the procedure for its future change into a Public Agency under a Special Regime

The Minister of Culture of the Junta de Andalucía, Rosa Torres, presided this morning this year´s first Plenary session of the Patronato de la Alhambra y el Generalife. During the session, the budgetary report and the liquidation for 2008 were approved together with the 2009 Plan of action and budget, estimated at 24,333,595 million Euros, representing an increase of 0.62% over the 2008 figures. The Members of the Board were informed on the procedures that have been carried out up to date regarding the change of the Organismo Autonomo Patronato de la Alhambra y el Generalife into a Public Agency under a Special Regime, in accordance with the 9/2007 Act, dated the 22nd of October for the Administration of the Junta de Andalucía.
Among the principal actions that the Patronato de la Alhambra y el Generalife will undertake during the present fiscal year, stands out the agreement signed between the Council of Granada, the Consejería de Cultura de la Junta de Andalucía and the Patronato de la Alhambra for the review of the Special Protection Plan for the Alhambra and Alijares, to follow the guidelines provided in the Plan Director (Management Plan), awarded in public tender to the team or architects García de los Reyes. Also, the start of the night visits in the Gardens and Palace of the Generalife, that will represent over 400 additional daily entrance tickets per day from March to June and from September to October.
Likewise, the Board Members of the Patronato de la Alhambra y el Generalife were informed about the opening of the Monumental Complex for collaboration and cooperation purposes with numerous professional groups and public and private institutions, and of agreements planned with the Publishing House of the University of Granada, The Metropolitan Museum of New York, the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Louvre Museum, the Pergamon Museum in Berlin and the Aga Khan Foundation.
Concerning the extension of the personnel roster (RPT), the Minister of Culture informed that 42 new jobs have been created for civil servants and 9 for labour staff, reflecting an important reinforcement in specialized management team of experts.
Finally, the Minister of Culture emphasized in the Plenary session the consolidation of a budgetary fund foreseen in the program of action of the Ministerio de Cultura of Spain, which includes the restructuring and refurbishment works of the Muslim Cemetery of the Dehesa del Generalife and the restoration of the Puerta de las Granadas, and that will continue with the interventions in the Silla del Moro and the medieval Gardens of the Generalife amounting to 1,5 million Euros.