Bozik: State to Refund Cost of €800 Bonuses to Local Governments

Bratislava, 25 May (TASR) - The state will refund the cost of the €800 bonuses for public administration employees to towns, villages and regions, Slovak Towns and Villages Association (ZMOS) chairman Jozef Bozik told a new conference held following the association's meeting with Premier Robert Fico (Smer-SD) and other ministers on Sunday. "We agreed that the money that should go for the €800 bonuses, plus levies, will be settled in line with the methodology proposed by ZMOS," said Bozik, stressing the readiness to adopt a resolution at the upcoming ZMOS congress authorising him to sign a higher-level collective agreement. Finance Minister Ladislav Kamenicky (Smer-SD) specified that refunding the bonuses will cost the state €114 million. "It is worth it for us to have social reconciliation, it is worth it to have higher-level collective agreements signed, so we've agreed with local governments that we will exceptionally compensate them for the payment of the €800 bonuses in 2025," explained Kamenicky. Bozik at a news conference also spoke about the guarantee that €400 million from EU funds will be left to regions. Projects approved by the partnership councils and cooperation councils should thus be implemented, he said. Bozik reiterated that ZMOS, in cooperation with the Self-governing Regions Association (SK8), is preparing a document regarding the modernisation of public administration and local government. "We agreed with the premier that the post of government proxy for the modernisation of public administration, especially local government, will be created," he added. ko