SaS to Initiate Special House Session over Subsidies Paid via PPA

Bratislava, 21 May (TASR) - The Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) party wants to convene, with the help of other opposition parties, a special House session to address subsidies for tourism support paid out via the Agricultural Payment Agency (PPA). The liberals are reacting in this way to suspicions that this money, amounting to millions of euros, has been used in a non-transparent manner in order to construct private houses. SaS claims that neither the government, nor Agriculture Minister Richard Takac (Smer-SD) want to investigate these suspicions. Takac on Tuesday (20 May) rejected these accusations, saying that checks on the correct use of EU funds are being carried out. "As coalition MPs rejected an MPs' survey at PPA, we are starting to collect signatures for a special session to which Takac will have to come and explain how millions have been stolen for private villas," said SaS leader Branislava Groehling. SaS pointed out that in addition to subsidies amounting to €1.8 millions mentioned in the media, there are five other projects worth more than €5.5 million that raise serious suspicions. "Instead of helping farmers, money via PPA is going into private guesthouses and villas. We'll defend every single euro of the citizens of this country," added Groehling. ko/df