Gaspar Announces Recalibration of Consolidation Measures

Bratislava, September 26 (TASR) - House Vice-chair Tibor Gaspar (Smer-SD) announced changes to the consolidation package of measures, a recalibration "to the benefit of the people", thus confirming that he is going to attach an amending proposal to the consolidation bill already in Parliament, specifically to cut the proposed 23 percent VAT on books, daily press, magazines, e-books and audiobooks to 5 percent, TASR learnt on Thursday. "I'm glad that we've managed to make some changes to the original consolidation package draft that are to the benefit of the people. We're a social government and we've always said that we'll consolidate in a social way and that means not at the expanse of the poorest. If during the drafting of the consolidation some, I'll call them, mistakes occurred that can still be fixed to the benefit of the people, then that's what we'll do," Gaspar declared at a press conference. Smer-SD lawmakers accentuated the need to consolidate public finances. "We would have been happy if we didn't have to do any consolidation at all... but in light of the inheritance we've been left with, it's imperative to carry out the consolidation," claimed Smer-SD caucus chair Jan Richter. Smer-SD also rejected criticism over the fact it has restricted parliamentary debate to 12 hours on the bill. According to Gaspar, the opposition representatives, when they were in power, had ample time to adopt measures to address public finances and state debt. "They had ample time to do something about it and having them act now as if they've got nothing to do with it and that the package we drafted is bad, well, that's absurd," he claimed. mf/mcs