Besides going ahead with Christmas bonuses to pensioners at the end of 2008, the governing coalition also agreed on the future transformation of this bonus to a regular thirteenth payment, Prime Minister Robert Fico said at a press conference in Bratislava following the Coalition Council meeting on July 1.
In connection with this year's growing fuel prices, the Finance Ministry expects to earn Sk1 billion (€33 million) in VAT, which it plans to use to create a system of emergency shelters with lodging and food, Fico explained. A sum of Sk1.2 billion should be set aside to help disabled people. Additionally, the Coalition partners agreed on an increase in the children's bonus by Sk1,200 (€40) a year for each child, raising the monthly allowance from its current Sk540 (€18) to Sk640 (€21). There was also consent on plans to raise the one-off birth bonus at the birth of a second child and eventually for a third child as well. TASR
Compiled by Zuzana Vilikovská from press reports
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