BRASILIA, Sept. 4 (Xinhua) -- The Brazilian government Tuesday announced the formation of a steering committee and a fund to rebuild the National Museum in Rio de Janeiro.
A fire Sunday night ravaged the 200-year-old museum and burned most of its 20-million-item collection, including some of the most important pieces on the American continent.
The announcement was made following a meeting gathering President Michel Temer, ministers, secretaries and coordinators from different sectors, along with the presidents of the state-run National Bank of Economic and Social Development (BNDES), Caixa Economica Federal and Bank of Brazil.
The steering committee will be made up of education, culture, foreign relations ministers along with the president's chief of staff and representatives from public banks.
"We'll also be looking for participation from the public and private sectors," said Eliseu Padilha, Brazil's presidential chief of staff, during a press conference.
A fund will also be specifically created for the reconstruction of the National Museum building.
The BNDES will also provide a fund totaling 25 million reals (about 6 million U.S. dollars) to finance executive projects that include security and fire prevention, and modernizing cultural institution facilities.
