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Coalition-to-be: System of Investment Stimuli Should Be Re-evaluated
Thursday 17 June 2010 Zoom in | Print page
Bratislava, June 17 (TASR) - The system of investment stimuli and state aid for domestic and foreign investors should be re-assessed or completely scrapped, TASR was told by representatives of the parties of the emerging centre-right coalition on Thursday.
"The role of investment stimuli should be reduced. We should focus more on improving the entrepreneurial environment, and not on supporting businesses out of public resources," said Christian Democrats (KDH) vice-chairman Anton Marcincin, adding that state aid isn't as important to investors as it was six years ago.
"At that time, individual states in (this) region competed using investment stimuli, as their respective local environments weren't developed enough. Slovakia, for example, wasn't a member of the eurozone and didn't have the euro," Marcincin pointed out.
KDH doesn't want to scrap the scheme altogether, however, advocating instead equal access to investment stimuli for domestic and foreign investors, and for small, medium-sized and large companies.
Ivan Stefanec (SDKU-DS) is convinced that new rules are necessary to prevent subjective evaluations in allocating investment stimuli. "We aren't interested in any discrimination ... but creating jobs in regions with higher unemployment rate deserves higher support," said Stefanec.
Most-Hid suggests that no specific industrial spheres should be prefered. "The system should be re-evaluated and stimuli should be provided to a reasonable and measured extent," said party vice-chair Ivan Svejna.
Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) wants to cancel investment stimuli altogether, stating that state money could be used more effectively. SaS member Martin Chren noted that its proposals will still be subject to talks with the other three parties, however.
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