Entrepreneurs say reform measures would harm small businesses
Published:
5 December 2003 y., Friday
Though President Vaclav Klaus' vetoes of a pair of finance reform bills late in November caused a stir in Czech political circles (See story, page A10), they were hailed by another influential group - this country's entrepreneurs and businesspeople.
"We welcome the move," said Pavel Bernasek, vice-chairman of Prague-based exporter Ecimex Group. "The state shouldn't support the failing health care system by taxing employers."
One bill vetoed by Klaus mandates higher health insurance payments by employers.
The Czech Chamber of Commerce has warned that public-finance reform will mainly weaken small businesses, a group that is endangered by the looming European Union entry. The Czech state is heading down a bumpy road with its tax policy, critics say.
The government is looking to reduce the deficit this year and not in the years to come, said American Chamber of Commerce President Weston Stacey, calling the reform short-sighted.
Compared to its neighbors, the Czech Republic has a relatively high corporate tax rate. All candidate countries intend to lower their rates. Slovakia's government recently approved a flat rate of 19 percent, to take effect next year. A proposal in Hungary aims to slash corporate tax from the current 18 percent to 16 percent. Meanwhile, the Czech government is discussing a gradual push downward from 31 percent to 24 percent by 2006.
Šaltinis:
praguepost.com
Copying, publishing, announcing any information from the News.lt portal without written permission of News.lt editorial office is prohibited.
The most popular articles
The EU needs a strategy by 2011 to encourage the creation of green jobs, says a draft resolution by the Employment and Social Affairs Committee that was adopted on Wednesday.
more »
Householders should not have to go without gas due to a gas-supply crisis, and such crises should be better managed, thanks to EU-wide co-ordination procedures and interconnection requirements laid down in draft legislation agreed informally with the Council at the end of June and approved by the Industry Committee on Tuesday.
more »
Today the Council has taken the formal decision which will pave the way for the introduction of the euro in Estonia as of 1 January 2011 and will become the 17th European Union country to share the euro currency.
more »
Proposals to improve protection for bank account holders and retail investors, and set up similar schemes for insurance policies.
more »
How should the EU's farm policy be reshaped and how should it be funded after 2013?
more »
MEPs on Wednesday approved some of the strictest rules in the world on bankers' bonuses.
more »
Long before the financial crisis the European Parliament regularly pointed out the significant failures in the EU’s supervision of ever more integrated financial markets.
more »
New strategy for stimulating tourism in Europe – to realise the full potential of an industry that already plays an important role in the economy.
more »
The European Commission has disclosed who in 2009 received EU funds in policy areas like research, education and culture, energy and transport or external aid.
more »
The European Commission has approved 19 programmes in 14 Member States (Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, France, Greece, Italy, Ireland, the Netherlands, Poland, Slovenia, Spain and the United Kingdom) to provide information on and to promote agricultural products in the European Union.
more »