A package of measures that fails to protect the self-employed in culture and prevents them from getting the help they were promised in times of crisis
 
Dear Sir or Madam,
 
I welcome the Government's desire to help the self-employed by introducing financial support in the form of a basic income to help them get through the crisis, but it is not that simple, because certain self-employed people will be excluded from this 'package' and overlooked.
As a self-employed cultural worker, I work in various areas of artistic creation, but sometimes I also have to work in industry. Projects that I set up in January, carried out in February and for which I was only able to invoice in March (they will be paid in April) exceed the amounts set by the government (25 and 50 per cent compared to February), even though these amounts are minor.
How can I prove that by closing the faculties, the Government has also prevented me from carrying out the video project, thus jeopardising my livelihood in a time of crisis. All interaction with museums, faculties and similar institutions is based on verbal agreements and only when the project is finished can I invoice and then there is a 30 day payment deadline.
This probably means that I am not eligible for aid and I am also obliged to pay income tax on income that does not exist and will not exist for some time because of the Government's measures.
If this is a Government of all citizens, I believe that all self-employed people in the cultural sector should be given this crisis basic income without having to prove a drop in income at the cut-off date, given that many civil servants, religious employees or employees in the economy will only be paid for waiting for work during the crisis.
 
Matjaž Učakar, designer
matjaz@arsis.net
041 566 597