Government to Deal with Excise Taxes and Financing of Social-care Services

Bratislava, January 15 (TASR) - The Labour Ministry should prepare new legislation regarding the financing of social-care services by the end of this year, according to a draft concept for reforming this topic that will be discussed by the government at its session on Wednesday. The goal of the reform is to unify the financing of social-care services, to scrap certain contributions and to replace them with a more accessible form of aid. A draft amendment to the law on excise tax on electricity, coal and natural gas is one of the other points on the agenda of the session. The amendment should reduce the administrative burden by simplifying the registration process and unifying the taxation of various kinds of natural gas. Robert Fico's (Smer-SD) cabinet should also deal with setting up a Slovak Government Council for Sustainable Development and Its Financing, which should be created by merging three advisory bodies. The proposal was submitted by Vice-premier for the Recovery Plan and a Knowledge-based Economy Peter Kmec (Voice-SD) and Environment Minister Tomas Taraba (an SNS nominee). The cabinet ministers will also deal with a proposal to conclude a bilateral agreement with Hungary on cooperation in the field of emergency medical services in the two countries' border regions. In addition, the government is set to approve contingents of Slovak army members within the KFOR mission in Kosovo and in the NATO multinational brigade in Latvia. ko/df