THE Slovak Government has no information that the EU opposes the extent of investment stimuli provided by Slovakia for the planned Hyundai/Kia factory in
Žilina, Slovak Deputy Prime Minister Pál Csáky said on September 21, news wire TASR reported.
"The Government doesn't have a signal about that. But that doesn't rule out that such a position might emerge in the future," Csáky told journalists after Monika Beňová (Slovak MEP of the opposition Smer party) publicly raised concern that Slovakia might face sanctions at the European Court of Justice.
Already when approving the agreement with KIA, Csáky's ethnic Hungarian SMK party pointed out there was too little time to study the documents. Nevertheless, the government approved the agreement earlier this year.
Beňová gave notice that the EU is starting to criticise Slovakia for the amount of state aid granted to Kia's new factory near northern city Žilina, but other Slovak MEPs say they were not aware of it.
According to Beňová, the main problem is that Slovakia will provide the investor more than the approved 15 percent of the overall investment.
She also noted there had been no international tender for the construction of the new factory. She emphasised her fears that the investor was preparing employment for Koreans rather than Slovaks.
Compiled by Beata Balogová from press reports
The Slovak Spectator cannot vouch for the accuracy of the information presented in its Flash News postings.
