Despite the fact that the cultural bonus should be ready by this time, the Ministry of Culture is still unable to guarantee whether it will come into force in July, so that 18-year-olds can enjoy, among other things, the full range of concerts and festivals , or it will already be in September, as Miquel Iceta himself said a few days ago. And not only is there uncertainty regarding its implementation, but eight months after President Sánchez announced this measure, more details are still being known about this 400-euro ‘purse card’.
The latest development has to do with the purchase of books. In a press conference offered after attending a meeting for the Artist’s Statute, Iceta clarified this Friday, given the doubts raised in his meeting a few days ago with the booksellers, that part of those 400 euros that young people who this year they turn 18 is used to buy books, either online or in person, but that their withdrawal will have to be in a physical center.
“The idea of the voucher is that it can be purchased online, but it has to be withdrawn in person. They can be purchased on platforms such as todotuslibros.com, but the reception takes place ‘in situ’. That is what we are going to do,” Iceta said at the ministry headquarters. What if these young people live in parts of the Spanish geography that are far from bookstores?
“That young man will be able to do various things – answered the head of Culture –: go to a place where there are bookstores or through allyourbooks.com and see where he can pick up the book. What we cannot do is create a bookstore in each town.
The cost of shipping book purchases on bookstore websites or on the website of the Spanish Confederation of Guilds and Associations of Spanish Bookstores will not be included in the 100 euros that the cultural bonus reserves for the purchase of books. With this measure, it is intended to avoid buying books on “large distribution platforms”.
Iceta, in her response, also explained that the cultural bonus will work as a wallet card, which can be virtual or physical. Correos is going to help distribute the physical card: “This guarantees that it will reach every last place in Spain.” From now on, a period of weeks opens for all companies that want to join this initiative to register in a registry that will be enabled.
In an interview on TVE, the Minister of Culture assured this morning that his department is working so that the cultural bonus starts to roll in July: «We are working to make it July, but we may find that it is in September and then they will tell me that I do not comply a promise”. With these statements he clarifies what he said a couple of weeks ago, when he set the entry into force of the cultural bond for September. According to Iceta, in France “it has taken three years to apply it fully”, while Spain will do it throughout the country from the first year.
This program is endowed with a budget of 210 million and is aimed at young people who turn 18 in 2022, some 500,000 throughout Spain. They will have 400 euros for the acquisition and enjoyment of products, services and cultural activities. Each beneficiary person will be able to allocate up to 200 euros to live arts, cultural heritage and audiovisual arts; a maximum of 100 euros to cultural goods on physical support; and another 100 euros for digital or online consumption. The total amount granted will be paid in a single payment, in nominal virtual prepaid card format.
