BRATISLAVA, July 27, (WEBNOVINY) — The new center-right coalition plans to reform the education sector and the judiciary. The ratio of contributions transferred to the first and second pension pillars will be preserved and strategic companies will not be sold. Another goal is to unify the collection of taxes and social and health insurance contributions, according to the government program statement upon which the quartet of SDKU-DS, SaS, KDH and MOST-HID agreed Tuesday.
Prime Minister Iveta Radicova said after the eight-hour talks that on Tuesday, deputy factions will have the opportunity to present their remarks to the text that will be included into the final version of the government program statement. The Cabinet will approve the material at its Wednesday session (July 28), starting at 2 p.m. Next Monday, Ms. Radicova will meet her coalition partners and the Slovak parliament will open a debate about the material on Tuesday, August 3.
The parties agreed not to hike the VAT rates on drugs, books and foodstuffs sold directly at farms, representing 10% at present. Construction of the highway from Bratislava to Kosice will continue and will be financially covered from EU funds, state budget and the second pension pillar. However, the prime minister ruled out that the project would be completed in four years.
The system of premiums is to be simplified through a merger of taxes and premiums into a super gross wage and unification of calculation bases. The proportion of contributions to the first and second pension pillars will not be changed; neither temporarily, while the Cabinet does not intend to increase the retirement age.
Strategic companies will not be privatized but strategic investors will be allowed to enter the railway company Cargo and the Bratislava Airport. Another step planned is the introduction of electronic public procurement, while contracts awarded by the state will be posted on the Internet.
An in-depth reform will be carried out in the education sector in terms of curriculum and funding. The new Cabinet plans to focus primarily on creation of new jobs as a means to increase state budget revenue. Ms. Radicova announced that the government program would not mention the term “liberal state”, adding that her government wants to build a modern democratic state.
The prime minister said that the government program provides bedrock for Slovakia’s recovery, quality living-standard, consolidation of general government finances and an attractive business environment. The material responds to the crisis and the present-day condition of the state and its citizens, concluded Ms. Radicova.
SITA
