Levies could be cut in 2019

The government will look very seriously into the possibility of cutting levies as of 2019, said Labour, Social Affairs and the Family Minister Ján Richter for RTVS on Sunday. However, Richter does not see eye to eye with employers and their request that if they are supposed to hike the salaries of their workers, the state should foot the bill. "I don't think so. They [employees] do their jobs for their employers, and the employers need to respond appropriately with increased salaries for their employees," he stressed. Former Labour Minister and opposition independent MP Jozef Mihál criticized the fact that the government makes promises for the future. In order to improve the financial situation of low-income citizens, the government could, as he suggested, increase the amount of money which is non-taxable. "We don't need to wait until 2019 for this. The Government can institute the move throughout the course of a single session," said Mihál.