SaS Points to Holes in Energy Aid, It Can Apply to People with Investment Flats

Bratislava, December 5 (TASR) - The opposition Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) party held a news conference on Friday to point to the shortcomings of energy aid for households announced by Economy Minister Denisa Sakova (Voice-SD) on Wednesday (5 December). According to SaS, a pensioner whose children are working and living in Bratislava and have permanent residence with him may be left without a state contribution for energy, while an entrepreneur who only pays the minimum wage to himself while owning several investment apartments, may receive it. "An owner of a corporate investment apartment, who has claimed a VAT deduction for this flat, owns several such apartments and pays himself the minimum wage, meets the conditions for energy aid in the flat in which he has registered permanent residence and will automatically receive this energy aid for all the other apartments," said SaS MP Karol Galek. "Conversely, there's a pensioner from the Orava area, whose children have registered their permanent residence where he lives," said Galek. In some cases, the amount of income may exceed the specified amount, and this pensioner won't be eligible for energy aid. According to Galek, the problem is that people didn't have time to prepare and transfer their permanent residence to a new address in such cases. The MP has called on minister Sakova to ensure that the system can respond to changes if, for example, household members change their permanent residence. "Otherwise, we're ready to appeal to the Constitutional Court to address this discrimination, in the interests of the public, in the interests of Slovak households who really need this help," added Galek. ko/df