SNG Reconstruction: Price Hikes and Systemic Failures
Committee members heard information about serious misconduct where procedures were not followed according to six laws: the Public Procurement Act, the Accounting Act, the Financial Control Act, the VAT Act, the Income Tax Act, and the Budget Rules Act.
Final Reconstruction Cost at Twice the Original Amount
The original project price of 38 million euros excluding VAT was gradually increased to nearly 62 million euros excluding VAT, with total costs reaching approximately 72 million euros. This is nearly double the original sum.
According to findings by the Supreme Audit Office (NKÚ), contract changes were implemented without support in the originally set rules and without a proper legal title. This resulted in violations of both the Public Procurement Act and the Financial Control Act. The result is a cost increase of tens of millions of euros paid by our taxpayers.
Invoicing in the Millions Without Legal Coverage
An extremely serious finding is the fact that from December 29, 2018, until the end of implementation, work was carried out without a proper contractual relationship. Invoicing by the company STRABAG for this period exceeded the amount of 50.5 million euros excluding VAT.
SNG Director General Juraj Králik stated: "During the leadership of Director General Alexandra Kusá, the SNG failed to fulfill its obligation to inform the Ministry of Culture of the SR and the Government of the SR about the need for a new public procurement. I consider it unacceptable that such procedures occurred in one of the key cultural institutions. Some of the mentioned invoices are already the subject of investigation by law enforcement authorities."
Furthermore, between 2018 and 2021, there was no proper contractual agreement regarding the completion date of the work. The implementation period was extended by as much as four years. Despite objections from professional departments, the project continued without legal coverage, representing a fundamental failure of financial management during Alexandra Kusá's leadership of the SNG.
Violations in VAT and Public Procurement
The audit also revealed incorrect VAT application and failure to remit tax related to tax liability. The total amount of incorrectly applied or unremitted tax exceeded 31 thousand euros. The SNG will currently have to pay these funds from its budget, which will negatively impact its operations and wage costs. Violations of the Public Procurement Act also occurred in smaller contracts that were awarded directly without a tender—for example, for the director's office furniture, the information desk, or catering services.
Failure of Internal Management and Control
Members of the NR SR Committee for Culture and Media also learned that the NKÚ noted a fundamental failure of the internal control system. From 2022 to 2024, internal control was either not performed or was only formal. The position of internal controller at the SNG was not even filled until September 1, 2025. The financial statements from 2022 to 2024 regarding the disclosure of costs, revenues, and the economic result from business activities did not provide correct, complete, and reliable information about the true state of costs, revenues, and the economic result.
Current Leadership Taking Measures
SNG Director General Juraj Králik also informed committee members that the current SNG leadership has adopted specific corrective measures. It has introduced stricter control mechanisms, clearly defined competencies, systematic reporting, and a new information system designed to ensure thorough compliance with legislation.
"We inherited a building that, despite an extensive and overpriced reconstruction, shows serious defects, including threats to the artworks in the exhibitions. We must take corrective measures for the serious errors left by the previous leadership. However, I and the people in the gallery are determined to tackle all of this, as well as the anti-campaigns against the gallery. Because for us, art is above all else," concluded SNG Director General Juraj Králik.
