Measures to consolidate public finances are the result of the negotiations of all government parties, and in their preparation it was the hardest to find a match in the coalition. In the Sunday discussion show of TV JOJ Politics 24, Finance Minister Ladislav Kamenický (Smer-SD) said this. According to him, the discussion is still about the possibility of purchases during holidays or saving in the health sector.
- The government had to agree for the consolidation of public finances.
- Negotiations include impacts on festive days and health.
- The opposition criticizes the increase in deputies’ salaries during consolidation.
- The Minister proposes solutions for transaction tax for entrepreneurs.
- The consolidation plan includes savings and increased taxes.
“For me, I have to say that the most energy I spent was just to achieve political agreements,” He said Kamenický. According to him, the government coalition had to compromise to overcome several disputes. “You can’t do it that you say that this is very good and this is the best, and that’s how I will pursue it, that’s how it just doesn’t work in politics,” He added the ministry.
Despite the fact that Parliament is already negotiating on the government submitted by a consolidation package, the Minister is still open to the question of disturbing public days of holiday during some holidays. Similarly, on Friday (12 September), the negotiations on the savings of some ministries were not completed. According to Kamenický, the biggest problem was in the health sector.
The Minister refused to criticize the opposition, which pointed out the next year’s increase in the net income of members of the government, the premiere and the deputies of the National Council of the Slovak Republic at the time of consolidation due to the automatic increase in flat -rate compensation tied to the average wage. “He’s in the hands of the National Council deputies what to do with their salaries. I have no right to determine them what they will be salary,” He said Kamenický. For other constitutional officials, the finance department plans to prepare Recalculation of flat -rate reimbursement growth they want to submit to coalition partners. According to Kamenický, this topic should then be devoted to the coalition council.
Negotiations on changes in the transaction tax proposed by the CIS Coalition Tax are also not finished. The Minister refused that this tax would be liquidation for companies. He claimed that several companies showed him that they reached only a few tens of euros for their transactional tax. However, it plans to withdraw around EUR 530 million from entrepreneurs annually. According to him, the proposal of the CIS deputies for the cancellation of transaction tax for sole traders and companies with a turnover of up to EUR 100,000 encountered EU legislation. According to the Minister, the liberation from this tax for all companies is up to ten euros.
Kamenický reiterated that consolidation was essential for the poor state of the trusted finances left by the former governments of the new cabinet in the fall of 2023. He also rejected the claim that the state would again save little on itself. Of the 2.7 billion total consolidation in 2026, companies, employees and consumers should pay a total of € 1.4 billion in taxes and levies And the state should save EUR 1.3 billion. This amount is also a reduction in the transfer of share taxes for cities and municipalities of EUR 130 million.
