PRIME Minister Robert Fico announced he is considering establishing an Energy Ministry.
“The Agriculture and Environment Ministries could merge and we believe there are departments that need to be strengthened, such as the energy sector,” the SITA newswire quoted Fico as saying after the European summit in Brussels on September 20. “We may decide to build a strong Energy Ministry that will regulate all state energy bodies.”
According to Fico, a merger of the two ministries would become effective after the 2010 elections.
Finance Minister Ján Počiatek believes that this move could save the state billions of euros and the work of the ministries would be more effective, SITA reported.
Observers say there might be a connection between Fico’s idea to create an energy ministry and Slovakia’s aspiration to obtain the post of commissioner for energy in the European Commission’s next term.
