PS Wants Special Emergency House Session on Transaction Tax

Bratislava, 3 June (TASR) - The opposition Progressive Slovakia (PS) party plans to initiate without delay a special emergency session of Parliament, during which a final vote could take place on limiting the transaction tax, party representatives announced on Tuesday. PS announced this after Parliament pushed forward a proposal sponsored by the Slovak National Party (SNS) to abolish the transaction tax for self-employed people and small businesses with a turnover up to €100,000, moving it to its second reading. However, this next stage is expected to take place only during the regular September parliamentary session, with the changes set to take effect as of October. According to PS, entrepreneurs shouldn't have to wait that long. "In July, we'll give coalition legislators the chance to show that they care more about the lives of people in Slovakia and the economic situation of the country than about their holidays. We'll be here. I believe that they will be here too and will vote for the fastest possible abolition of this transaction tax at least for part of the business sector," announced Michal Truban, party vice-chair and a member of the House economic affairs committee. The current vote on limiting the transaction tax was described by Truban as a defeat for Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD), as it exposed the incompetence of his government. "It also shows that pressure from the opposition, the business sector and the public makes a difference. Without it, the coalition would never have backed down," emphasised Truban. Member of the House finance and budget committee Stefan Kiss (PS) underlined that a worsening economic situation was also pointed to on Monday (2 June) by the Slovak central bank (NBS) in its current Financial Stability Report. "Last year, corporate profits fell by 17 percent. This year, the government added higher taxes and this stupid tax. Housing prices have increased by 12 percent, and real salaries are at the same level as they were three years ago," he stated. mf/df