SK8: Regions Want Predictable Financing at Level of 2 Percent of GDP

Revuca, December 5 (TASR) - The self-governing regions demand predictable financing from the government at the level of 2 percent of GDP, said regional governors following a meeting of the Self-governing Regions Association (SK8) held in the town of Revuca (Banska Bystrica region) on Thursday. At the meeting, they also talked about the critical condition of bridges in individual regions, suggesting they should be reconstructed through PPP projects. SK8 members pointed to the fact that self-governing regions along with municipalities provide more than 80 percent of all services that the public comes into contact with and that's why they want sustainable and chiefly predictable funding equalling 2 percent of GDP from the state. "If such a guarantee is provided, we are able to make long-term plans and at the same time invest in infrastructure, even with the huge investment debt that regions have in terms of roads and buildings," stated Banska Bystrica regional governor Ondrej Lunter. According to Trnava regional governor Jozef Viskupic, the amount of funding demanded by the regions is based on real numbers. "We'e asking neither too much, nor too little, since today it is some 1.8 percent. What we are asking for is predictability of funding, so that the rules don't change on the fly," added Viskupic. SK8 claims that financing of self-governing regions bound to the amount of GDP would help the regions to maintain the quality of the services provided in the long term. ko/mcs