THE TRIPARTITE social partners in Slovakia failed to reach agreement on the use of state funds to create new jobs at the November 23 session of the country’s Economic and Social Council, the SITA newswire reported.
The National Association of Employers is opposed to the recommendations. The association’s president, Marián Jusko, told a news conference that the measures could increase the state budget deficit because the budget approved for 2010 did not include the necessary allocations.
“All measures could have been included in the already approved budget,” SITA quoted him as saying. Jusko is concerned that an increase in the deficit would require higher taxes and social and health insurance contributions after the parliamentary elections in June 2010.
Vladimír Mojš, the vice president of KOZ, the trade union confederation, said that the trade unions could endorse these measures provided the finances for the proposed job-creation tools are acquired via redistribution from sources originally earmarked for active labour market policies. Mojš also noted that funding of these measures would go beyond the framework of the approved 2010 state budget.
The Construction and Regional Development Ministry has proposed to continue financial assistance for thermal insulation of apartment buildings and family homes and to allocate €100 million to €120 million for this purpose annually. This would support creation or maintenance of 11,000 to 13,000 jobs.
The Economy Ministry wants €128 million from the state budget for direct investment assistance to investors who plan to create over 3,857 jobs in Slovakia.
The Slovak Association of Towns and Villages (ZMOS) also demanded a new financial support programme for people who have lost their jobs as a result of the economic crisis. The association’s suggestion is that unemployed persons should carry out community works and community services within towns and villages.
