The Slovak Parliament has announced a new session starting on Wednesday, April 15 with a 104-point agenda and with debates and votes on draft laws in first and second reading representing the lion's share of the agenda, the TASR newswire wrote.
Proposed legislative measures include those from opposition parties SDKU-DS, SMK and KDH, featuring solutions to ameliorate the impact of the global economic crisis at an estimated state budget burden of €664 million a year. Among them is a cut in the flat-tax rate to 16 percent from 19 percent and amendments to the Labour Code.
Co-ruling LS-HZDS lawmakers Katarina Tothova and Ludmila Muskova will propose to enact a new and tougher law barring youths under age 18 from using alcohol and other addictive substances. As well, they want to enact legislation that will keep children younger than 15 out of alcohol-serving public places after 21:00. As well, detox centres would be re-established under the proposed legislation.
Justice Minister Stefan Harabin will seek parliamentary approval for his government-backed bill on judges, devolving many ministerial powers of control over the judiciary in personnel and financial matters to Slovakia’s Judicial Council. The ministry would only be left with the framing of laws and international treaties under Harabin's proposed legislation. TASR
Compiled by Zuzana Vilikovská from press reports
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