Pellegrini: Transaction Tax Has Many Flaws and Slovakia Doesn't Understand It

(STVR, 'Sobotne dialogy', April 12) Speaking on STVR's politics programme 'Sobotne dialogy' (Saturday Dialogues), President Peter Pellegrini that the transaction tax has many flaws and causes significant displeasure among Slovak people, while the newly introduced tariffs on exports of goods and services from the EU to the USA will primarily impact the automotive industry. "After eleven days, I can't assess whether the transaction tax is fulfilling its purpose, but I can say that it's causing significant tension and dissatisfaction among people, because any tax must make sense to people. They need to understand whether it's a profit tax, a turnover tax, or a value-added tax (VAT). The biggest problem with the transaction tax is that those who pay it don’t understand its logic and don’t see why they should be taxed just for transferring money from one account to another or paying for something they purchased," said Pellegrini. The president commented on the impact of tariffs imposed by the USA, which will also negatively affect Slovakia, and described US President Donald Trump as an unpredictable partner. According to Pellegrini, Slovakia will have to change its approach to cooperation with the USA. Regarding the tariffs, he expressed support for Slovak EU Commissioner Maros Sefcovic, who, in his opinion, has the ability to manage the situation. Pellegrini also agreed with the EU's response, offering zero tariffs on certain products for the USA, which he sees as a motivating proposal for Trump. Regarding the amendment to the law on NGOs currently under discussion, he didn't understand why organisations are afraid to disclose their donors if they have nothing to hide. lin