BRATISLAVA, December 1, (WEBNOVINY) — The revenue shortfall of EUR 14 million which will occur in next year’s state budget as a result of the unsuccessful vote to adopt a draft amendment on excise tax on beer, will be covered from the ministries led by Christian Democrats (KDH), as it was four KDH deputies of who refrained from voting and prevented the draft bill to go through. This form of compensation was decided at a Coalition Council meeting on Wednesday, which was convened by Prime Minister Iveta Radicova after the unsuccessful vote. “This government will not end because of beer,” she said after the meeting. The draft amendment was aimed at increasing the excise tax on beer as one of the measure to stabilize public finances.
Head of KDH’s deputy faction Pavol Hrusovsky stated that similarly to the leader of the Christian Democrats, Jan Figel, he did not know that some KDH deputies would refrain from voting. “It was an individual breach of the coalition agreement”, Hrusovsky commented. As he said, Figel is starting to prepare a proposal on how to compensate for the EUR 14-million shortfall.
The excise tax on beer will not go up next year. On Wednesday, the lawmakers did not back the Cabinet’s proposal to increase the excise tax rate on beer. 73 deputies voted for the draft, which, according to Finance Minister Ivan Miklos had political support, while 66 voted against it. Within the ruling coalition, four KDH deputies did not back the draft legislation and refrained from voting.
SITA