Sutaj Estok: Let's Debate Transaction Tax, Not Send Messages Through Media

(TA3, 'V politike', April 27) We should discuss problems and not send messages to each other through the media, Interior Minister and Voice-SD leader Matus Sutaj Estok said on TA3's discussion programme 'V politike' (In Politics) on Sunday in connection with the debate on the transaction tax. Sutaj Estok has called on Slovak National Party (SNS) leader Andrej Danko, as well as Premier Robert Fico (Smer-SD) in this context. He admitted technical changes to the transaction tax. "I think that we'll discuss it soon. I am therefore calling on coalition representatives not to hold press conferences where we are sending messages to each other, not to issue press releases, but to discuss it behind closed doors," said Sutaj Estok. According to him, there's need to discuss adjustments to the transaction tax, if it concerns workers, such as bricklayers or plumbers. The adjustment of the 'coefficient' can also be considered a technical change in the transaction tax that the premier spoke about. "The technical change is also that you burden a self-employed, a bricklayer, with a lower coefficient than a bank," he explained. Opposition Christian Democrats (KDH) leader Milan Majersky, also on the show, would completely scrap the transaction tax. Instead of the transaction tax, he suggested make savings on government institutions, criticising the establishment of a new ministry. Majersky stressed the importance of decentralisation. "We would shift the powers to the lowest possible level," he said. He also spoke about the need to ensure adequate pensions so that 13th pensions don't have to be paid. Sutaj Estok refused to save on pensioners, he would tax gambling instead. He also wants to assert changes to election deposits and contributions to political parties. He can imagine that parties that fail to make it to Parliament wouldn't receive contributions for their result in the general election. A deposit necessary for parties to run in elections could be increased from €17,000 to €100,000, he said. Concerning President Peter Pellegrini's veto of the bill on the so-called COVID amnesties, Sutaj Estok said that his position has yet to be discussed by Voice-SD MPs. Majersky thanked the president for vetoing the so-called COVID amnesties. He hopes that Parliament won't manage to break the veto. ko