BANSKÁ Bystrica Region Governor Marian Kotleba did not sign an agreement on training employees of two social care homes, claiming that it is too expensive and would be a waste of EU money. Kotleba however was working with the wrong numbers, according to the Labour Ministry, Sme daily reported on November 22.
Kotleba claims that the training should involve 400 employees from two social care homes in Slatinka and Ladomerská Vieska, though they have only 75 employees. Based on his calculations, the training would cost more than €21,000 per employee of the social care home in Slatinka and €36,000 per employee in Ladomerská Vieska.
“We don’t consider it to be normal that someone will waste [money] in such a way,” Kotleba said, as quoted by Sme.
Barbora Petrová of the Labour Ministry however says the information is not true. Sme received copies of agreements signed between Labour Minister Ján Richter and the head of the now-defunct Social Development Fund Alena Bašistová, which show that the training concerns about 400 employees from social care homes in six regions. All regions have signed the contract except Banská Bystrica Region.
“Altogether 350 employees of the social care centres of higher territorial units together with 500 social care receivers will participate in the project,” Petrová told Sme.
The complete expenses on one participant will be €1,960 and when counting just expenses on training it is around €1,000 or €200 for each participant per week,according to Labour Ministry.
Kotleba further said that since he stopped the projects, Agriculture Minister Ľubomír Jahnátek also halted other projects concerning social care homes, reconstruction of roads and removing the damages caused by flooding worth €10 million that should have been financed through EU funds.
“Kotleba has not signed contracts for us for €2 million which training agencies were looking forward to therefore we will not give him four projects for the self-governing region,” Kotleba interpreted the situation, as quoted by Sme.
Source: Sme
Compiled by Roman Cuprik from press reports
The Slovak Spectator cannot vouch for the accuracy of the information presented in its Flash News postings.
