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Miklos Soon to Discuss Emergency Aid to Municipalities
Wednesday 07 July 2010 Zoom in | Print page
Bratislava, July 7 (TASR) - Municipality financing is in a bleak state as the centre-right government takes over the country, said future Finance Minister Ivan Miklos after talks with the Association of Towns and Villages of Slovakia (ZMOS) asking for emergency aid of €141 million.
The figure represents €88 million as tax-revenue shortfall plus €53 million to cushion the blows of the economic crisis.
Miklos said he was ready to discuss the required sum in the near future but would not reveal the amount ZMOS would get. "We are prepared to discuss to what extent ZMOS' requirements could be met. But I can safely say that not everyone can expect to have the shortfall in their original budget allocation made up," he told reporters.
The incoming minister reckons that this year's state budget will fall short €1 billion of the targeted personal income tax revenues. "I don't want to downplay the situation municipalities are in because of the global economic crisis, but it is also a result of the irresponsible and incompetent management by Robert Fico's government. (Outgoing finance minister Jan) Pociatek has not formed any reserve (as he reported earlier). All I can see there is a hole of one billion," he said.
Towns sand villages have this year received €33 million to make up the shortfall in personal income tax revenues resulting from the global economic crisis.
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