BRATISLAVA, November 25, (WEBNOVINY) — Approval of the state budget for next year may run into another problem in parliament. Although the responsible Finance Committee voted in favor of the draft budget with adjusted deficit of 4.6 percent of gross domestic product and thus also recommended its approval in parliament, there was a ‚no‘ vote in addition to members of the opposition SMER-SD also from MP Anton Marcincin from the ruling coalition KDH. He has particular reservations to health sector financing in the draft budget for 2012.
In the debate to the joint report on the draft state budget for next year and also to the general government budget for the years 2012 to 2014, Marcincin brought up the fact that next year the government plans to pay for its policyholders health insurance contributions nominally lower by 112 million euros than anticipated in the original proposal and 67 million euro lower than it paid in 2010. Thereby, the number of people without jobs is expected to rise next year and higher revenues from the economically active insureds cannot be expected either.
Marcincin claims that his vote is consistent with the position of his party. „Compared with 2010, health insurance payments for government insured persons are lower by 67 million euros. At the same time, we expect higher unemployment and less active people [paying health insurance – SITA note]. I think this money will be missing in the health care sector. I will vote against this, but I think there is still time for some political negotiations,“ Marcincin said before the vote in the committee.
Alongside Marcincin, also the opposition SMER- SD members of the committee voted against the draft budget. According to MP Peter Kazimir, the amended draft budget from the Ministry of Finance, which adjusts the numbers in the draft budget to the current situation and new macroeconomic prognoses, is evidence that the Finance Ministry has resigned on its fundamental role. He claims that the amendment does not contain any justification and explanation of the proposed changes in the budget. „It’s synonymous with mess and decay that rules here in recent weeks,“ he said. He sees resignation of the Finance Ministry in that it does not attempt to present a budget that would be close to the original proposed level of consolidation as envisaged for next year with a deficit of 3.8 percent of GDP, which may be problem for Slovakia in the light of new events in the euro area. „It’s a shame and we will have to take responsibility for it. We are simply out of line in consolidation and there is no attempt to change this. This is a formal proof of resignation,“ said Kazimir.
The Cabinet had originally presented to Parliament a draft budget that counted with payroll levies reform and also more positive macroeconomic developments. After the collapse of the governments and an update of macroeconomic prognoses, it was necessary to adjust the draft budget. The result is an amended budget from the Ministry of Finance with adjusted numbers and increased deficit from the original 3.8 percent to 4.6 percent of gross domestic product. The Finance Committee voted to recommended approval of the draft budget for 2012 without votes of SMER-SD and KDH. Parliament will discuss the draft budget at its upcoming session that begins next week.
SITA