The government wants to save €332 million from this year’s state budget in order to finance its anti-crisis measures. Austerity measures are expected to be introduced at individual ministries but no definite figures linked to specific areas have been published as yet, reported the TASR newswire.
According to Finance Minister Ján Počiatek, the process of looking for possible savings has already entered its final phase, as ministries only have until the end of next week to find savings if they don’t want the Finance Ministry to make the decisions on their behalf.
Tomáš Kuťka from the Construction and Regional Development Ministry's press department told TASR that the ministry will reduce its expenditures by €10.874 million, in accordance with the Finance Ministry's proposal. The largest share of the money (€6.167 million) should be saved from the program of state bonuses for construction savings.
The Economy Ministry hasn't yet published a detailed rundown of the savings required, but has outlined spheres in which it wants to introduce austerity measures. “The biggest share is proposed in capital expenditures from previous budget periods, mainly in the area of an important investment by Gertrag FORD Transmission, the ministry's support for programs, the administration of the ministry's budget organisation, economic mobilisation, foreign trade-economic departments and support for industrial parks,” Dárius Bosjak from the ministry's press department told TASR, adding that when it comes to this year's budget, the ministry plans to save in the area of capital expenditures, investment stimuli support and its administrative apparatus.
The Agriculture Ministry has not released any specific figures either, claiming that it is awaiting an official statement from the Finance Ministry concerning austerity measures. “We've prepared possible variations for savings, but until the final word about the extent of the measures is uttered, it is no use speaking about specific items,” said the ministry's spokesman Stanislav Háber. TASR
Compiled by Zuzana Vilikovská from press reports
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