MILLIONS promised to hospitals from higher taxes on cigarettes are still missing, Health Minister Roman Kováč has claimed.
An on-going battle between the Health and Finance Ministries is holding up the payment of promised money following a rise in taxes on cigarettes from the start of this year that will bring an extra Sk850 million ($17 million) to the state's coffers.
Kováč claims that Finance Minister František Hajnovič is refusing to give the money and has called for a special meeting with Hajnovič and ex-Finance Minister Brigita Schmögnerová to get confirmation the money, earmarked for cancer and cardio-vascular treatments, will be released.
The Finance Ministry has rejected Kováč's claims and says it has still not calculated the increased revenues from the raised tax on cigarettes.
4. Mar 2002 at 0:00 | Compiled from Slovak press reports
