SaS Organizes Protest Against Transaction Tax in Kosice

Kosice/Bratislava, May 6 (TASR) - A protest against the financial transaction tax took place on Tuesday near in Kosice, organized by the opposition party Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) and attended by several dozen people. “We are pointing out problems that the transaction tax has caused for ordinary people, entrepreneurs, and the self-employed. We’re highlighting that this is a foolish tax that should be abolished in order to support the economy, tourism, and a higher standard of living,” SaS chair Branislav Groehling told TASR. As of April 1, legal entities and self-employed individuals in Slovakia began paying a new financial transaction tax. The measure is part of a consolidation package aimed at reducing the public finance deficit, which was approved by Parliament last year. In addition to SaS, the tax has also been criticized by the opposition parties Progressive Slovakia (PS) and Christian Democratic Movement (KDH). The coalition party Slovak National Party (SNS) also wants to amend the tax and has submitted a proposal to Parliament to revise the relevant legislation. SNS chairm Andrej Danko rejected claims that his actions were coordinated with the opposition. The coalition party Voice-SD intends to discuss possible changes to the tax as well. Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) acknowledged the possibility of making adjustments to the transaction tax but rejected any fundamental changes. He declared that the tax is irreversible, as it brings in a volume of revenue essential for fiscal consolidation. According to him, the previous government is to blame for the introduction of the tax, as it destabilized public finances. mf