PM Robert Fico (source: SITA)
Prime Minister Robert Fico has launched a discussion about introducing the 13th salary for employees. He did so at the August 22 press conference called “The Country is Doing Well”.
“We are ready to talk about new ideas,” Fico said, as quoted by the TASR newswire. “There is a proposal to introduce a 13th salary. Smer is ready to sit behind the table and discuss it.”
Andrej Danko, chair of the Slovak National Party (SNS) who terminated the coalition agreement two weeks ago, responded immediately.
“Since the country is doing well, it is right to think about 13th and 14th salaries being exempted from taxes and payroll levies,” SNS wrote in a press release, as quoted by the Denník N daily. “I don’t think that a serious employer should not pay a bonus. It is a functional tool for keeping employees. Also, employees will receive higher net income as the bonus will be exempted from payroll taxes.”
In the core of the EU
Slovakia meets all conditions to be part of the European Union’s core, Fico told the press, referring to statistics. He particularly referenced the historically low jobless rate, the increase in salaries and the growth of the country’s economy.
He also wants to present these results at the August 23 meeting with representatives of Austria and France in Salzburg, TASR wrote.
“The country is simply faring well,” Fico said, as quoted by TASR. “We meet the two or three conditions necessary for participation in the core, and we have something to offer to the countries that apply for the spot there.”
The participation in the EU core will pertain not only to economic and budget parameters, the cooperation in defence and asylum policies, but also adopting measures in the social area, the prime minister stressed, as reported by the SITA newswire.
These topics will also be important when creating next year’s budget, he added.
“I expect the three ruling parties will meet and talk about their ideas for the budget,” Fico said, as quoted by TASR.
