Andrej Holák, whose departure from the post of Transport Ministry state secretary was proposed by minister Ján Počiatek on Tuesday, April 23, will become vice-chairman of the Public Procurement Office (ÚVO), the government decided on Wednesday.
"The post of chair has always belonged to the opposition, while the vice-chair has been there [as a representative of government]," Prime Minister Robert Fico said, as quoted by the TASR newswire.
The move was criticised by former transport minister Ján Figeľ (Christian-Democratic Movement (KDH)) who said he believes that Fico decided to act after the ÚVO crossed his Smer party by deciding to re-evaluate a tender to modernise a stretch of railway near to Trenčín. ÚVO's recent decision came after the state-run rail company ŽSR had already signed a contract with a consortium headed by TSS Grade, and construction work had been launched. Holák is set to be replaced in his post as state secretary by Viktor Stromček, who has served as head of the Parliament Office.
Source: TASR
Compiled by Zuzana Vilikovská from press reports
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