BRATISLAVA, June 9, (WEBNOVINY) — Taxpayers save EUR 12,606 on functioning of parliament every workday compared with last year. “We promised a responsible approach to governing and an end of wasting taxpayers‘ money. The months of our government have proven that we have been fulfilling this promise,“ said Speaker of Parliament Richard Sulik (SaS) at a news conference on Thursday. The functioning of parliament swallowed EUR 1.3 million less in the first five months of this year than in the same period of last year.
According to information that Chief of the Office of the Slovak Parliament Michal Niznan provided to journalists, parliament spent EUR 6.2 million over the past five months, whereof EUR 3.7 million was used for the purchase of goods and services and EUR 2.5 million for wages. Expenditures on goods and services shrank to EUR 2.9 million this year and parliament used EUR 2 million for wages, so parliament’s spending on its functioning totaled EUR 4.9 million.
Niznan opines that parliament has accomplished savings thanks to lay-offs, reassessment and termination of contracts that the Office of the Slovak Parliament sealed under SMER-SD nominee Viktor Stromcek. Sulik also mentioned that although parliament employs a team of janitors, the previous leadership signed a contract for cleaning services for EUR 6,580 monthly. Niznan terminated this contract and cleaning is now secured exclusively by parliament’s janitors.
Consumption of gasoline decreased more than 50 percent from 23,500 liters to 11,500 in May. Sulik opines the high consumption of gasoline was caused by stealing because Stromcek signed an “ruinous“ directive, which allowed consumption of 19.5 liters per 100 km for every car. “By some miracle, all eight drivers always used up the precise limit,“ he said adding that he lodged criminal charges against an unknown offender and suggested termination of employment by notice to two drivers who declined the offer to leave. Sulik estimated that damages from the theft of gasoline reached EUR 35,000, which he wants to claim back by reduction in personal bonuses for the eight drivers. “As long as this money is not back in a cash register, the personal bonus will remain halved,“ he announced. The directive currently determines gasoline consumption at 14.5 liters per 100 km, which is appropriate for eight-cylinder limousines with 300 horsepower engine power, according to Sulik.
SITA