Bratislava, December 3, 2021 - The following year's state budget reflects the complicated socio-economic development caused by the almost two-year pandemic of COVID-19 and the associated uncertainty of further development in 2022. On the other hand, the draft budget reflects unsolved issues for an extended period of Slovakia's sustainability.

The President of the Supreme Audit Office of the Slovak Republic, Karol Mitrík, will present the Opinion of the draft state budget for 2020 to the plenary session of the National Council of the Slovak Republic on Thursday, December 9. He will draw the attention of the MPs to the fact that the current legislation will require a balanced budget from 2024, which will not be possible without the necessary changes to the law on budgetary responsibility and a clearly defined consolidation strategy. The Head of Auditors still considers current that the budget authors make the process of creating a budget more transparent and improve the process, so it is understandable also to the general public.

Despite the high government budget deficit for the following year, almost all ministries lacked resources, including those for reaching important goals in health care, education and transport. The local and municipal authorities also emphasize that the draft budget does not make it possible to fully realize its original and delegated competencies.

"This is a consequence of the long-delayed substantial reforms of these sectors. The SAO, therefore, supports all reform steps that would not only be cosmetic adjustments, transfers of competencies but real reforms, saving public resources where it is objectively possible and directing them where it is objectively necessary ", emphasizes the president of auditors, Mr Mitrík.

 

The full text of the press release about this issue in Slovak language is available here. Use the Google icon in the top bar for automatic translation.