Richter: I Don't Rule Out Complete Rethink of Transaction Tax

(STVR, 'Sobotne dialogy', May 3) Speaking on STVR's politics programme 'Sobotne dialogy' (Saturday Dialogues), MP and Smer-SD parliamentary caucus chair Jan Richter admitted that the financial transaction tax (FTT), which has been in force since April 1, may be completely revised after some time. "I think that the premier [Robert Fico (Smer-SD)] himself has admitted certain technical possibilities of its improvement. So far we have only the first month of the law's effectiveness. I do not at all exclude that the transaction tax will be completely reassessed after some time, to what extent it is delivering what is expected of it," stated Richter. According to him, the coalition council will have to deal with the financial transaction tax now, because Andrej Danko and his Slovak National Party (SNS) have submitted a draft amendment to the law on the financial transaction tax to Parliament. "A substantial part of the expected funds from this transaction tax is not supposed to come from sole traders and small entrepreneurs," noted the coalition lawmaker. However, the impact on small sole traders is far from what they've been calling it, according to Richter. Opposition MP Marian Viskupic (Freedom and Solidarity/SaS), who was also on the show, stated that SaS will support any solution that will make the financial transaction tax less harmful and less pointless. "The tax as a whole, not just for small businesses, not just for Slovak entrepreneurs, but for all businesses, is pointless, harmful and shouldn't have been created at all. The only correct solution today is that it should be scrapped as soon as possible. I say - immediately. Even the money already paid should be returned to the entrepreneurs, or it should be used for some other tax they have to pay," said Viskupic. am