MORNING NEWS HIGHLIGHTS - Monday, October 21, 2024 - 9 a.m.

TASR brings a quick morning overview of the most important events seen in Slovakia on the previous day (Sunday, October 20): BRATISLAVA - Food prices are an issue that merit the attention from me as the Prime Minister and it's necessary to find ways together with food producers and retails to have the upcoming cuts in the VAT tax on essential foodstuffs from 10 percent to 5 percent translate also into lower prices, Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) declared on TA3's discussion programme 'V politike' (In Politics) on Sunday. Fico called the existing talks with involved parties constructive, with more talks to come. He would prefer to arrive at a deal, but if that doesn't happen, he underlined that the state has many tools in its disposal to enforce its will. "Unlike in the past, the state today possesses information. We know what the inputs of food producers are, at what prices they sell products to a retail chain and know how much does the product cost on the shelf. Based on that, some decision can be taken," warned Fico and added that he values a dialogue, so he wouldn't specify any potential measures at this stage. "But I refuse to accept that slashing VAT from 10 percent to 5 percent on essential foods would be for naught. Then we didn't need to do it at all. We did it because we want to stabilise the prices at least a little bit in the range of foods important to people," explained the Prime Minister. BRATISLAVA - Speaking on TA3's discussion programme 'V politike' (In Politics) on Sunday, Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) stated that he expects the Slovak Towns and Villages Association (ZMOS) to come up next year with a proposal of a reform that would tackle the "persistent" problem with the financing of small villages, although Fico doesn't wish to take away the right to their own representation from such local authorities. Fico reiterated that the Government had helped ZMOS by giving it €50 million, but he expects ZMOS to table a reform in return to facilitate the running of small villages. "I'm not saying that we'd like to take away from the villages the right to have their own mayor or some representation but we can't probably preserve 2,700 district authorities in this quality, where each has a mayor, district office and a village council," he claimed and added that the needs of several villages could be served by a single office with a shared accountant. Such a project could be financed with the European money. BRATISLAVA - The health sector is ripe for a systemic reform, as money get lost in it inefficiently, SNS leader Andrej Danko and KDH chair Milan Majersky concurred on RTVS's discussion programme 'O 5 minut 12' (Five Minutes to Twelve) on Sunday. Danko repeatedly heaped criticism at ex-health minister Zuzana Dolinkova (Voice-SD). Both Danko and Majersky hope that the necessary measures will be unveiled by new Health Minister Kamil Sasko (Voice-SD), but Majersky added that the health portfolio must receive attention also from the Prime Minister. "This can't remain the agenda of only a single governing political party. The Prime Minister must get personally involved to make sure that sufficient financial resources are routed to the health sector and a good consolidation is carried out," he said. Also broached was the issue of the House chair post, left vacant since the 2024 presidential election in April due to ongoing disagreements within the coalition as to which party should claim the post. Danko stated that he respects the fact that House Vice-chair Peter Ziga (Voice-SD) has been tasked with heading Parliament in a temporary capacity. "Even though I harbour objections to him having full powers," he said. Majersky claimed that the fact Parliament hasn't had a proper chair for so long is an embarrassment to Slovakia. BRATISLAVA - The offer of salary growth extended to nurses and midwives is absolutely fair, Health Minister Kamil Sasko (Voice-SD) underlined in a video he posted on a social network on Sunday. Sasko reiterated that the nurses and midwives won't see the growth of their salaries slowed down at all. "The offer I'm submitting guarantees that each and every one of you will have exactly the same conditions of salary growth as before the consolidation package was passed," Sasko addressed nurses and midwives in the video. "The entire package that I've managed to negotiate won't apply to nurses and midwives only, but also to paramedics and other health professions." Sasko asked whether the salary growth of almost 10 percent at the times of hard consolidation can be a reason for the continuation of strike activities and pointed out that all these professions will get precisely the same salary hikes as promised back in 2022. BRATISLAVA - Twelve problematic bears have been liquidated in the north of Slovakia over the past nine days following the declaration of the emergency state in the wake of a fatal bear attack on a human near the village of Hybe (Zilina region), Environment Minister Tomas Taraba (SNS nominee) posted on a social network on Sunday. In Taraba's view, this proves that the legislation amended with a mind towards protecting the people from bear attacks is efficient and works well. "It grants sufficient tools to relevant organisations without enabling uncontrollable and arbitrary culling of bears that would clash with Slovakia's commitments regarding the protection of endangered species," posted Taraba. am