英国议会公共账目委员会（PAC）近日建议，政府应考虑将英国文化协会（British Council）背负的1.97亿英镑债务大部分转化为拨款或类似形式 1。该债务主要源于疫情期间按商业条款发放的贷款 1。尽管英国文化协会在将近100个国家运作并声称年触达人数超过7亿人，但巨额债务使其未来前景充满不确定性 1。
自2021年以来，英国文化协会已裁减超过2000个全职等价岗位，并计划进一步减少25%的员工人数 1。此外，协会通过出售资产来应对财务压力 1。原定于今年偿还的贷款已被重组为将在未来15年内清偿 1。协会预计直到2029-30财年才能产生运营盈余 1。
公共账目委员会主席Geoffrey Clifton-Brown表示，协会需要政府的全面支持而非仅仅被追债 1。委员会批评外交联邦发展部（FCDO）缺乏对协会的积极愿景，敦促其与协会合作制定长期战略 1。委员会指出，英国文化协会每年对英国的软权力价值估计约为10亿英镑 1。
A parliamentary committee has recommended that the UK government consider converting the majority of the British Council’s £197 million debt into a grant or similar form 1. The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) argued that this financial relief is necessary to preserve the organization’s value as an instrument of soft power, which it estimates contributes approximately £1 billion annually to the UK 1. The committee criticized the government for lacking a proactive vision for the institution and urged the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) to collaborate on a long-term strategy rather than treating the council solely as a debtor 1.
The recommendation stems from loans taken out under commercial terms during the pandemic, which have left the organization facing significant uncertainty despite its efforts to reduce costs 1. Since 2021, the British Council has cut more than 2,000 full-time equivalent positions and plans to further reduce its workforce by 25% 1. Additionally, the original repayment schedule was restructured so that the debt would be cleared over the next 15 years, with the council not expecting to generate an operating surplus until the 2029–30 fiscal year 1. Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, chair of the committee, stated that the organization requires comprehensive government support instead of being pursued only for debt recovery 1. Operating in nearly 100 countries, the British Council claims to reach over 700 million people each year 1.
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