Sulik: SaS Rejects Latest Proposal by Igor Matovic

Bratislava, May 23 (TASR) - The SaS party rejects the latest proposal by Finance Minister and OLaNO leader Igor Matovic to use the proceeds from the extraordinary tax on the processing of Russian oil to pay for salaries of nurses, doctors and teachers, SaS chair Richard Sulik announced on Monday. According to Sulik, Matovic should have thought about salary hikes for nurses, doctors and teachers when he was drafting the state budget earlier. "We, of course, are open to slashing or suspending any other tax. If there won't be a deal on the reduction of the tax to such an extent as we proposed, however, we'll veto the introduction of the oil tax," said Sulik. "Our intention was to reduce the VAT tax on diesel and petrol to 8 percent. Despite the fact that Poland did this as well, Igor Matovic is against it. There was even a talk at the coalition council's session [on Sunday, May 22] about a period lasting until the end of the year, which could be negotiated with the EU as well," claimed Sulik. Earlier in the day, Matovic stated that it is not possible under EU rules to make any cuts in the VAT tax on motor fuels, which is why the Finance Ministry cannot embrace a proposal put forth by the SaS party to use the income from the extraordinary taxation of the processing of Russian oil to slash the VAT tax on fuels from 20 to 8 percent. Seeing as it's not possible to reduce the VAT tax on fuels, Matovic proposed that the income from the additional tax on the Russian oil should be used for salaries of nurses, doctors and teachers. "I firmly hope that the SaS will set the bickering aside, concede its own mistake and lend a helping hand to nurses and teachers," he claimed. mf