PS: Coalition Conceding Inability to Meet Own Economic targets

Bratislava, 30 April (TASR) - Finance Minister Ladislav Kamenicky (Smer-SD) has officially admitted that his so-called consolidation won't lead to sustainable public finances, stated opposition Progressive Slovakia MP Stefan Kiss on Thursday, adding that after this failure and the downgrade of a key rating, there's no other option left for Kamenicky but to step down. Kiss recalled that two years ago, the Finance Ministry promised to bring the budget deficit below 3 percent by the end of the electoral term, but its annual progress report submitted to the government contradicts this. "He [Kamenicky] has admitted that the debt, which is already hitting an all-time high, will continue to grow and that they're unable to meet their own targets. Even the figures they present are unrealistic because they, according to the prime minister, have set out on a road to hell," stated Kiss. According to him, the government doesn't have a clue how to kick-start the economy. "It's been almost four months since the prime minister promised certain steps; instead, we're only seeing childish games about some classified document. When we requested the measures, the ministries buried their heads in the sand. The Finance Ministry replied that it knew nothing about it, while the Economy Ministry said that it couldn't send it yet, as they're still merging several documents. So, where is this comprehensive document the coalition leaders keep talking about?" asked Kiss. According to PS MP Ivan Stefunko, the Slovak economy needs an impulse to finally start moving forward. Instead, the government is merely keeping the economy stuck in the past. "Recent months have shown that we can survive without Russian oil. We could have seized this moment for modernisation and the better use of European funds that we're not spending, as well as for genuine diversification to reduce our vulnerability and our bills in the long run. Instead, the government has decided to file a lawsuit against the European Union so that Slovakia can continue bankrolling the Kremlin's murderous regime," said Stefunko. jrg/df