SaS: Instead of Targeted Energy Aid, Gov't Plans to Collect Private Data

Bratislava, April 1 (TASR) - The government has failed in its energy aid agenda and instead of extending targeted aid to households it plans to collect sensitive private information, the opposition's Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) party warned on Tuesday. "A year and half ago, we submitted to Economy Minister Denisa Sakova (Voice-SD) specific proposals of how to make the energy aid more targeted and thus save money in the state budget. She told us back then this was a great idea. In February 2024, she promised us that the next year's aid will be targeted, but that's not what has happened," said MP Karol Galek (SaS). SaS pointed out that if a new bill currently in Parliament gets passed, the Economy Ministry will collect sensitive private information from various institutions, which raises concerns about the protection of privacy. "They want to collect birth certificate numbers, dates of birth, family status and even nationality," stated Galek. "The outcome is going to be a non-functional system, which, once again, will serve only as an excuse as to why the targeted aid is not possible. The government has thus failed again and reveals it has no real plan of how to help the people who are bedevilled by soaring energy prices," added the lawmaker. mf