BRATISLAVA, October 18, (WEBNOVINY) – Transport Minister Jan Figel evaluates the first one-hundred days in office positively with regard to the change he was planning to carry out after returning from the post of EU Commissioner in Brussels last year. “Slovakia has matured for a change and I am very happy that this change is taking place,” he told Monday’s news conference. According to the minister, the new government has improved the credibility of the country, positively in particular in relations with Hungary, where issues in mutual relations are now discussed without emotions. The KDH chairman highlighted that “non-transparent tenders” have been to a great extent replaced by electronic public procurement and a number of contracts are published on the Internet.
“In Sered [town in southern Slovakia], Mafia figures were on first-name terms with the Police; which is history today,” Figel said with regard to the achieved progress in security. He reminded that in the health care, senior citizens had to pay a portion of their health care costs, while there is now a cap on their payments for medicines. The coalition has been consolidating public funds, whereas in the previous election term, Slovakia was heading down to Hungarian or Greek path.
The transport minister assured that the construction of highways will continue and will be cheaper. “Slovakia can have European parameters also in construction of infrastructure,” he stated. He reminded that the special tax regime for some gambling facilities has been canceled by the new government. At the beginning of its election term, the new center-right government had to deal with negative impacts of floods. “The former government no longer devoted attention to floods after the elections,” Figel remarked.
Leader of the co-governing KDH party mentioned criticism of the coalition regarding frequent changes in its statements and numerous discussions about individual topics. Figel admitted that the coalition needs to improve communication, coordination and cooperation. “It is a call on all our partners; we offer our experience,” the minister concluded.
SITA