SaS: Fico Fails to Mention Problems with Payments to Farmers (2)

Bratislava, April 9 (TASR) - The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development fails to give direct payments to farmers, yet nothing of that sort was mentioned at Tuesday's meeting between Prime Minister Robert Fico and Agriculture Minister Richard Takac (both Smer-SD), opposition Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) claimed on Tuesday. "The ministry's leadership fails to perform its most fundamental task: distributing among farmers and food producers what they're entitled to. This has caused them enormous problems because they need this money for loans, contocurrent accounts and various deadlines," claimed SaS MP Alojz Hlina. According to Hlina, Robert Fico began his press briefing after his working visit to the ministry with the statement that he "appreciates minister Takac for the quality of social dialogue with farmers". "That, however, is based on the minister filing criminal complaints against farmers. This is a new era when the minister, who's supposed to serve them, is filing criminal complaints and he's even praised for that by the prime minister," added Hlina. Hlina warned that people involved in the Stock Farmer criminal case are back, installed to ministerial posts that deal with food production. "They've cemented themselves to their positions and the good old times are back, and the people who were making decisions about the money and our land are back, too," said Hlina. The SaS MP pointed out that the only qualification of one of the state secretaries is the fact that he's a neighbour to Nitra-based entrepreneur Norbert Bodor, whereas the wife of the head of the advisory team co-owns a firm with the wife of Bodor and the head of the ministry's office hails from Nitra and is also in touch with Bodor. "What's more, the head of the Agricultural Payment Agency (PPA) is a person whose frauds and political work were covered also by murdered journalist Jan Kuciak," added Hlina. mf/mcs