SaS: Coalition Making Things Worse for Entrepreneurs Again

Bratislava, 7 August (TASR) - New rules that will increase the costs of setting up and running companies while at the same time imposing further administrative burdens on entrepreneurs will soon come into play with an amendment to the Act on the Business Register which is due to take effect as of 17 August, opposition Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) party representatives stated on Friday. SaS plans to submit an amendment at Parliament's session in September aimed at scrapping additional red tape and make setting up companies simpler again. SaS MP and vice-chair of the House finance committee Marian Viskupic said that according to the new rules approved by the governing coalition this year, an electronic or authenticated signature will no longer suffice when setting up a company in many cases. "A notarial deed or authorisation by a lawyer will be required. The court fee for registering a company has also been increased from €204 to more than €270. When this is added to the notary's or lawyer's fee, setting up a company could easily cost more than €500," he said. Furthermore, once the business is up and running, any additional changes will require the involvement of a notary or lawyer, meaning further fees, paperwork and time. "Meanwhile, the sanctions are getting stricter as well," added Viskupic. He stated that this is another piece of the puzzle that shows how the current government is making the business environment worse in the long term, with entrepreneurs facing higher taxes and levies, more paperwork and numerous regulations. SaS offers the opposite approach, said its leader Branislav Groehling, referring to a five-point programme that would help to restart the economy after a change of government. "We have a clear plan for the day after [Prime Minister Robert] Fico. We'll scrap the transaction tax, introduce a flat-rate tax and the Estonian model of taxing reinvested profits. We'll cut taxes and levies, and reduce unnecessary red tape," said Groehling. jrg/df