BRATISLAVA, November 26, (WEBNOVINY) — Farmers associated in the Slovak Agricultural and Food Chamber (SPPK) are planning to stage a protest in front of the Slovak Parliament against government’s consolidation package, spokesman for the chamber Stanislav Nemec confirmed for SITA news agency. The goal of the public rally is expressing disagreement with the proposed government’s austerity measures intended to consolidate public finances, which as Nemec believes, would mainly affect farmers and food producers. “We are aware of the necessity for consolidation but the burden should be spread evenly on everyone’s shoulders, not just on farmers and food producers,“ explained Nemec. SPPK wants to hand over a petition for preservation of the Slovak agriculture and food industry to Speaker of Parliament Richard Sulik prior to the parliamentary session. The chamber has so far collected almost 100,000 signatures under the petition,“ said Nemec.
Farmers say that austerity measures affect the agro-food sector much harsher than other sectors of the economy. SPPK mostly disapproves of the proposal for abolishment of tax relief on the so-called red diesel, hike in excise tax on beer as well as cancellation of the law on inappropriate conditions between suppliers and retail chains. Nemec further informed that this law requires more comprehensive and in-depth discussion since it only took effect in May, while merchants had time to synchronize their contracts with new regulations until September. The law is thus actually effective since September, which is a too short time for any serious assessment of its efficiency, according to SPPK.
SITA
