On Wednesday, the Slovak parliament started debating the so-called "Lex Corona" Act that should help businesses following the pandemic downturn. Opposition MPs think that the measures are only of an administrative nature. They claim that the proposed measures will not kick-start the economy or prevent the growth of unemployment. The Minister of Economy Richard Sulík, who submitted the act, agrees with the criticism, yet he adds that the new legislation will significantly help to improve the business environment, which is a huge plus in his eyes. The proposed act consists of 114 measures.
"We are simplifying the energy audits, or we are enabling entrepreneurs to record the real fuel consumption and not the one in their technical certificates," the Economy Minister listed some of the measures introduced as part of the bundle. There are also measures dealing with fines from the trade inspection or return policies. According to the opposition, the law does not address the real concerns of businesses in the post-pandemic times.
"I never stated that Lex Corona would be a medicine for everything. It is only a drop in the ocean," reacted Sulík in the defense of the proposed measures.
Employers appreciate the new government's concerns regarding the business environment, nonetheless, they also point to the insufficient targeting of the proposed measures.
"For that we would need proper changes in labor legislation and a clear setting of a minimum wage that would be competitive," said Association of Employer's Unions vice-president Rastislav Machunka.
The Lex Corona act is being debated in a short-tracked procedure and thus is expected to pass within a short time.
