The Christian Democratic Movement (KDH) is not very enthusiastic about the proposed privatisation of heating companies, its party caucus chairman Pavol Hrušovský said on February 7 prior to a meeting of the four-party Coalition Council that was scheduled to discuss the issue later that evening, the SITA newswire reported.
Prime Minister Iveta Radičová had earlier announced that the central heating companies had been spending their revenues in a wasteful way and urged that this be changed. Slovakia’s National Property Fund (FNM) and the country’s finance ministry wrote in an economic analysis that the sale of FNM’s 100-percent stake in the heating utilities is more advantageous for the state than retaining ownership and collecting dividends.
The second government of Mikuláš Dzurinda wanted to sell these companies in 2006 but its plans were thwarted by the early parliamentary election held in 2006. The cabinet of incoming prime minister Robert Fico halted the privatisation of the heating companies.
Radičová has admitted that political nominations of managers to the heating companies have turned out wrong. She said this regarding the generous “golden parachute” severance payments that may go to the outgoing managers of TEKO, the central heating company in Košice.
Richard Sulík, the leader of Freedom and Solidarity party (SaS) also proposed at the Coalition Council meeting that Robert Fico be dismissed from his post as deputy speaker of parliament. However, the prime minister, KDH and Most-Híd did not support the proposal. The Coalition Council also discussed dual citizenship and payroll tax changes.
Source: SITA
Compiled by Zuzana Vilikovská from press reports
The Slovak Spectator cannot vouch for the accuracy of the information presented in its Flash News postings.
