KOSICE, August 27, (WEBNOVINY) – The government is to allocate another EUR 40 million for rescue works and compensations to residents affected by floods. The state will gain the money from the national lottery company TIPOS, which should pay a special levy to the state budget in amount of EUR 20 million by October 10 and will gradually pay an additional EUR 20 million in several installments. Therefore, the Cabinet approved a draft amendment of the law on gambling today, which should be discussed by the parliament in a shortened interdepartmental review, the Prime Minister Iveta Radicova and Finance Minister Ivan Miklos informed after the Cabinet session in Kosice on Friday.
Within 50 days of being in function, the Cabinet allocated amount of EUR 110 million for rescue works and the elimination of damages after floods, Radicova stated after the session. According to the estimates, the total damage after floods exceeded EUR 750 million. „We are not able to provide this amount at once, but gradually we will provide additional resources,” Radicova stated. In relation to floods, the government has also requested financial resources from the European Social Fund. She added, „We try to find financial resources to help families, those who lost their homes in particular, and also municipalities.”
Last Wednesday, the Cabinet approved EUR 13.3 million for rescue works during the floods, stated Minister for Agriculture, Environment, and Regional Development Zsolt Simon. Another EUR 39.4 million will be used to cover damages after the floods which were made on the properties of municipalities and towns. Self-government counties will receive an additional EUR 10 million to repair roads. In addition, the Ministry will allocate EUR 4 million for cleaning of sluice-ways.
The Cabinet has also discussed the comprehensive flood prevention plan. The material contains short- and medium-term programs of flood prevention, which include changes in the use of EU funds and discussions on priorities and solutions, which further include the coordination of rescue forces, deployment of military forces, flood alarms, and watercourse monitoring, according to Prime Minister Iveta Radicova. The proposal also includes the amount of financial resources the state will invest in the prevention of high water.
SITA