Fight against energy monopolies will continue, stated Prime Minister Robert Fico. "The Economy Ministry will go into sharp conflicts with them. We want to be in a permanent constructive conflict with energy monopolies," said Mr. Fico following an inspection day at the Economy Ministry on Tuesday. He informed that the government will soon deal with a possibility of additional taxation of energy monopolies.
"We must look at the development of profit in these monopolies. We must check whether they do not artificially reduce profit to show there is no room for this step," added Mr. Fico in connection with potential additional taxation of energy companies. Financial resources from additional taxation of energy monopolies should be used for support of lowest-income groups of the Slovak population. Mr. Fico declined to comment on how energy prices might look like next year. "We will see what will be the development of the price policy in the energy sector. We are waiting for proposals to be delivered by energy monopolies; however, I would not like to comment on it at the moment. We are not nervous. We will put maximum efforts to protect people in Slovakia, although we find ourselves in a difficult environment," said Mr. Fico. Europe has not yet experienced an energy price crisis similar to the current one.
Mr. Fico sees no room for cuts in excise tax on motor fuels at the moment. "The European Council as a whole refused to go down the path of playing with taxes since it would be a demonstration of countries' weakness. Speculators are raising crude oil prices and if we now decrease petrol price by SKK 1 through the excise tax, we would have the price back in three days," stated Mr. Fico. Reduction of excise tax on motor fuel would absolutely go astray, which is also what the European Council asserts. Fuel prices thus should not be solved through excise tax cuts, but rather through additional taxation of energy monopolies. "This is our way. Only representatives of the previous government were permanently increasing excise taxes. The same representatives are so arrogant that they dare to come and pretend being the most social ones in the world, let's go reduce the excise tax. I refuse these proposals by Mr. Miklos," stated Prime Minister Fico.