Prochazka: Siet Has Eight Priorities to Be Included in New Government

Bratislava, March 10 (TASR) – Siet party will try to push through eight points to be encompassed in the new government’s programme declaration, said Siet leader Radoslav Prochazka after a two-hour session of the party’s presidium on Thursday.

These eight points are: approval of a law against the letterbox companies; personal material responsibility for politicians; decrease in income taxes for individuals as well as legal entities; extension of the period for children allowances from three to five years; an advantageous service package for entrepreneurs, including the distribution of meal vouchers on an entirely voluntary basis; scrapping of ‘tax on loss’ [tax licences thus dubbed because they are due by businesses even if they don’t post profits – ed. note]; and an increase in government expenditures on craftsmen and farmers.

Siet also demands to accelerate the construction of the R2 expressway in Upper Nitra region (central Slovakia), the R3 expressway in Orava (northern Slovakia) and the R4 in Zemplin (eastern Slovakia). Other requests include the increase of Slovakia’s food self-sufficiency at least to the level of EU average; an increase in public investments in education by 30 percent in the next four years; and to cut short the waiting period for medical services and for placement into old people’s homes.

“If President Andrej Kiska is to commission Freedom and Solidarity leader Richard Sulik to attempt to create a government, we’ll take part in those negotiations. But we need those negotiations to be meaningful. These are our priorities and we wouldn’t like to budge,” said Prochazka.

Prochazka hasn’t ruled out the possibility of meeting Prime Minister and Smer-SD leader Robert Fico during the time of his commission, which is until March 18. “I don’t have a mandate to talk coalition, however,” emphasised Prochazka, adding that unofficial meetings are part of his job.

Siet on Thursday also discussed the resignation of Miroslav Beblavy on the post of party’s vice-chairman. Prochazka regrets Beblavy’s decision. Prochazka also added that even though he resigned, he might become a minister in the new government. Party’s presidium has again declared its satisfaction with Prochazka as the leader.

They have also talked about the current affair of Boris Kollar (We Are Family – Boris Kollar) and his photos with Juraj Ondrejcak, convicted mob ringleader. The party, however, haven’t as yet adopted official stance towards this scandal.