Doubtful Measures for Filling the Budget Hole
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According to Prime Minister Alenka Bratušek, the government will also boost the effectiveness of collecting duties. The government plans to allow companies that have overdue obligations to pay them in several instalments, while it will also change the law on insolvencies to allow companies to reprogramme their tax debts.
Bratušek noted that between EUR 40m and EUR 50m can be gained from several public institutions, which have "accumulated noteworthy surpluses". What is more, state-owned companies will likely make more profits, according to the prime minister. The rest will be covered by increased excise duties.
She added that some room was also left on the side of income, mainly due to last year's VAT hike. "This will close the 2014 budget," she stressed.
The coalition also agreed today to continue its efforts to introduce a real estate tax, which the government plans to tweak so that there will be no doubts regarding its constitutionality.
Bratušek moreover said after the coalition meeting that she was determined to seek a vote of confidence in parliament despite the coalition expressing support for the government. She will not tie the vote to the measures the coalition agreed on today, however.
According to her, the measures will not require major changes to the legislation, as the government can implement most of them by itself.
Head of the coalition SocDems (SD) Igor Lukšič meanwhile told the press that today's meeting was important because of the "turbulences in the past week". Apart from the annulment of the real estate tax, the coalition was also marked by ouster motions against Education Minister Jernej Pikalo and Interior Minister Gregor Virant.
"We consolidated our ranks and I think we can take this coalition to the end of the term," he stressed.
Also Virant, who survived the interpellation on Friday even though the ruling Positive Slovenia (PS) boycotted the vote, stressed that the coalition would remain united. He added that today's proposed measures were a step in the right direction.
Head of the coalition Pensioners' Party (DeSUS) Karl Erjavec noted that the coalition showed its maturity today and expressed satisfaction that pensions had remained intact.