Premier: Money from Recovery Plan Might Kick Off Huge Modernisation Projects

Bratislava, April 26 (TASR) - Money from the recovery plan could be the impetus for major modernisation programmes for a period of ten years, said Premier Robert Fico (Smer-SD) following his working meeting with Vice-premier for the Recovery and Resilience Plan and EU Funds Use Peter Kmec (Voice-SD) on Friday. Fico added that this is a unique opportunity to put €6.4 billion into circulation. With the fourth application for payment from the recovery plan, Slovakia is approaching almost half of the allocation intended for it. "This is a unique opportunity to put €6.4 billion into circulation in the areas we need to get going: education, health care, the environment, for which we simply don't have money in the state budget. This money from the recovery plan could be the impetus for major modernisation projects for a period of ten years that we still haven't agreed on," said the premier. Kmec added that Slovakia's fourth application for payment from the recovery plan is currently at the final stage of assessment. "At the moment we're at the final assessment stage of applying for the payment, within which Slovakia should receive an additional almost €1 billion. Along with previous payments, Slovakia should reach a level of €3 billion, thus approaching half of the allocation intended for Slovakia as part of the recovery plan," he said. Kmec stated that within the fourth payment application the issue of including the spending limits for 2024 is being fine-tuned and that the Finance Ministry is communicating intensively with the EC regarding the matter. "I'm positive that we'll get the payment under the fourth application in the weeks to come," he added. The premier also commented on his meeting with European Commission Vice-president for Values and Transparency Vera Jourova on Thursday (April 24). He described the meeting as a good one, adding that he asked the EU commissioner for a rational and technical dialogue, not a political one. Kmec confirmed that a discussion is being held with the EC on the scrapping of the Special Prosecutor's Office (USP) and the amendment to the Penal Code. "It must be said here that there is no risk of reversing any milestones or goals under the recovery plan, as protection of the EU's financial interests is provided within the entire system of state administration and penal legislation. The USP was only one of the links for protecting the financial interests of the EU, and this is what we're trying to explain to the EC - that the protection of the EU's financial interests hasn't been weakened after USP was scrapped. ko/df