Drucker: Slovakia Applies for 7th Payment from Recovery Plan Worth €760 mn

Bratislava, 28 November (TASR) - Slovakia is submitting its seventh application for a payment from the recovery plan worth over €760 million on Friday, Education Minister Tomas Drucker (Voice-SD), who is in charge of the Office of the Vice-premier for the Recovery Plan and a Knowledge-based Economy, announced following the government session on the same day. If the application is assessed positively by the European Commission (EC), Slovakia could receive the money in March of next year. "This payment includes several investments that will improve the lives of people in Slovakia. It really covers all spheres of life and life situations," stated Drucker. He mentioned, for example, the removal of barriers at secondary schools, the expansion of home nursing care capacities, support for primary care outpatient departments, the expansion and renewal of the mobile hospice network, and education in the health-care sector. In its application, Slovakia also announces a reform in the area of ​​state administration buildings, the approval of an action plan for hydrogen, and the involvement of hospitals in the central management system. As part of the application, Slovakia must also submit evidence to the EC of fulfilling some of the areas that have not been completed yet. "There are some three areas in which we'll still have to supplement this evidence within the next 60 days, as not all of them have been processed. However, it's a standard procedure that happens not only here in Slovakia, but in all member states. Subsequently, the European Commission should assess all these things. After the whole procedure is completed, we expect that the money should arrive in the account sometime next March," announced Drucker. At the same time, he stressed that Slovakia should submit the eighth and ninth payment applications next year, and the recovery plan should be concluded with them. However, Drucker sees several risks associated with them. "We have many investment projects underway, and we'll have to document and account for all of them. There are certain risks here, and I want us to start discussing them," he stated. According to Drucker, the most significant risks regarding the eighth and ninth payments include the digitisation of life situations, which is being overseen by the Investment, Regional Development and Informatisation Ministry (MIRRI). If this project fails, fines amounting to tens of millions of euros would threat Slovakia, he emphasised. ko/df