SLOVAKIA's Interior and Environment Ministries are looking for Sk657.5 million (€16.93 million) from this year's state budget to cover the costs connected with flood damage.
The Finance Ministry insists, however, that only Sk116 million (€2.91 million) is available for this purpose and that the rest of the money will have to be found elsewhere, according to the TASR news agency.
During the first eight months of this year the floods in Slovakia left bills totalling Sk1.2 billion (€30 million), according to figures published by the Environment Ministry.
Around Sk78 million (€1.96 million) should cover the costs of clean-up operations run by the Environment Ministry while Sk32.5 million (€810,000) should pay for rescue operations carried out under the Interior Ministry.
The Environment Ministry stresses, however, that if damaged anti-flood facilities are not repaired soon, "more serious flooding will return and there will be persistent deterioration of the flood prevention mechanisms". The worst floods occurred in eastern Slovakia during July and August.
