Consolidation Measures Freeze MPs Salaries and Open Shops on Public Holidays

Bratislava, 25 September (TASR) - MPs have approved several amending proposals to the package of consolidation measures for next year that came from committees and coalition MPs. The number of public holidays on which shops will be required to close will be reduced to 5.5 days. The sales ban will only apply to the following days: 1 January, Good Friday, Easter Sunday, 24 December after midday, and 25 and 26 December. In 2026 and 2027 MPs' salaries and flat-rate allowances will remain frozen at the level of 2025. Changes have also been made to the VAT classification of certain food items. Milk products and yoghurt drinks without coffee, tea or substitutes will remain under the 19-percent VAT rate. Selected non-alcoholic beverages without added sugar, sweeteners, coffee, tea or their substitutes will also be exempt and remain at 19 percent. As for health-care legislation, a change will be introduced requiring agreement from a medical assessor for recognition of newly issued sick-leave certificates. Meanwhile, Parliament rejected many opposition amending proposals. Marian Viskupic (Freedom and Solidarity/SaS) proposed, for example, scrapping the transaction tax and changes in connection with the increase in VAT. A group of MPs from the Christian Democratic Movement (KDH) proposed preserving November 17 [which celebrates the end of the totalitarian regime in the erstwhile Czechoslovakia -ed.note] as a work-free public holiday while suspending its work-free status only in 2026. ko/df