RATISLAVA, August 5, (WEBNOVINY) – The government will not cancel the contribution paid to the childbirth allowance upon the birth of the first, second, and third child in the volume of EUR 678.49, stated Prime Minister Iveta Radicova at a briefing with Labor Minister Jozef Mihal on Thursday. “Nothing like that is part of the program statement of the government, or part of its program priorities,” she emphasized. Mihal just presented an idea of how to simplify the system of childbirth allowances so that it applies to the birth of any child, not just the first, second, and third, Radicova explained. The main priority in this sphere is to allow parents to have a paid job while they receive parental contributions.
Labor Minister Mihal wanted to cancel the contribution to the childbirth allowance paid upon the birth of the first, second, and third child, which is currently EUR 678.49. This money would be paid out in the form of higher parental contributions. After the cancellation of the contribution to the childbirth allowance, parents would get only the childbirth allowance paid upon the birth of any child in the volume of EUR 151.37. With regard to his proposal presented earlier this week, Mihal told the press on Thursday that under the pressure of journalists’ questions, he said more than he originally wanted to. As of next year, the volume of parental contributions should remain at the present level.
Mihal’s ambition was to introduce a new law on parental contributions with a uniform volume of a parental contribution being between EUR 180 and EUR 190 provided for a child up to the age of three. At present, parents who personally take care of their child up to the age of two, do not have a paid job, and comply with all regulations in order to be entitled to the contribution receive EUR 256 from the state, but the contributions drop to EUR 164.22 for a child older than two years.
SITA