Opposition: Consolidation Measures Should Have Been Addressed Earlier (2)

Bratislava, 12 September (TASR) - The poor state of public finances has been known for a long time, and measures to aid their recovery should have been presented earlier, so they should be discussed via a standard legislative process and not hastily via a fast-tracked legislative procedure, a number of opposition MPs stated on Friday in the debate on a proposal for fast-tracked proceedings on the consolidation package for next year. "In a decent country we would have had this first discussion on consolidation in May. In a decent country it's debated early, you follow the rules, in this case, among others, the legislative rules. In a decent country laws are changed so that people can prepare for them, so that they can learn about the surprises that the government is planning earlier," said Stefan Kiss (Progressive Slovakia/PS). Marian Viskupic (Freedom and Solidarity/SaS) pointed out that fast-tracked legislative procedures should be used in extraordinary situations that arise unexpectedly and need to be responded to quickly. "But this is not the case with consolidation. The situation concerning the poor state of public finances, the threat of high interest rates, the rapid growth in debt didn't arise yesterday, a month ago or a year ago," he noted, adding that the coalition should have started working on the consolidation package in January, and changes in laws could have been dealt with since then via a standard legislative process. At that time, all those affected could have commented on them and possibly improved the proposals. No fast-tracked procedure is necessary because if the current government weren't in power, no consolidation would be needed, stated Julius Jakab ('Slovakia'). "Finance Minister Ladislav Kamenicky (Smer-SD) likes to find new faces to blame for the state of public finances, he just doesn't look in his own mirror. This fast-tracked procedure has no justification because Minister Kamenicky can't even handle his own calendar," he said, adding that the minister failed to meet several deadlines for presenting the measures that he'd set himself. "You argue that you've inherited devastated public finances and that it is much harder to save that money than to spend it. You are absolutely right about that and you prove it every day. You haven't saved a single euro, and you are spending twice as much as the previous governments you keep making excuses with," said Jakab, adding that the proposed consolidation doesn't meet the parameters of a fast-tracked procedure. Jozef Hajko (Christian Democrats/KDH) pointed out that the government chose the same approach last year. "A proposal came that we had been waiting for for many months, we saw it presented on television and within 16 days it was approved in Parliament. Such an important document. They limited the discussion at that time and they shut our mouths," he stated. The KDH MP complained that the state budget baselines for next year, which are closely related to the consolidation package, are not being presented along with it. He also criticised the coalition for debating important financial laws in Parliament on the Friday before a long weekend, when the public takes less notice. "Attention should be extremely heightened instead," stressed Hajko. am/df