House Session on Transaction Tax Won't Be Held, Same Proposal Made in December

Bratislava, March 10 (TASR) - A special House session on the transaction tax, initiated by the opposition Progressive Slovakia (PS) party, won't take place, TASR learnt from the Parliament Office's press department on Monday. House Vice-chair Peter Ziga (Voice-SD), who is tasked with heading Parliament on a temporary basis, said that he can't convene the session, as its agenda is identical with a draft law rejected by Parliament in December 2024, and the mandatory six-month period hasn't elapsed. Opposition Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) MP Marian Viskupic proposed that Parliament should cancel the transaction tax through an amendment to the financial transaction tax law. However, Parliament rejected this in December. "I can't convene the session, as its agenda would be the same as the one with a point of the agenda rejected by Parliament last December. Since 180 days have not yet passed since the failure to approve such an issue, the session can't be convened," announced Ziga. PS MPs filed a motion to convene the session last week. They claimed that the new tax on financial transactions, which should be paid by entrepreneurs as of April, is harmful and should never be applied. They wanted Parliament to approve at the session a bill that would scrap the tax. Meanwhile, the fellow opposition 'Slovakia' party called on PS to withdraw its proposal to convene a special House session on the transaction tax, warning that replacement for the newly-appointed tourism and sport minister Rudolf Huliak, Miroslav Radacovsky could use the opportunity to take his oath as an MP. This would secure a majority of 76 MPs for the coalition. 'Slovakia' also called on other opposition parties not to take part in the special session. ko/df