RPT-Slovak PM says will not hike taxes after election

                                
 (Repeats story from Friday)
                                
 * Prime Minister Robert Fico sees no higher taxes
                                
 * Personal, corporate income tax steady at 19 percent
                                
 * May hike top-end health, social security contributions
                                
 
                                
 BRATISLAVA, April 30 (Reuters) - Slovakia will not hike
taxes if the leftist SMER party forms the next government after
a June general election, Prime Minister Robert Fico said on
Friday, adding such a step would hurt the business environment.
                                
 The euro zone member state introduced a flat 19 percent tax
rate in 2004 to overhaul its complex tax system, and the tax
reform has helped bring higher budget revenues in recent years.
                                
 "We do not plan to increase taxes, none of us wants to hike
taxes for corporate," Fico told a meeting of the Employers'
Association (RUZ). He added the personal income tax will remain
untouched as well.
                                
 Thanks to wide-ranging market reforms, Slovakia became a
magnet for foreign direct investment worth billions of euros,
mainly into the car and electronics sectors, which helped to
boost the economy to among the European Union's fastest-growing
before the economic crisis crushed foreign demand.
                                
 Fico, a tireless campaigner with a strong chance to form the
next cabinet with one of its current coalition partners or with
one of the opposition factions, dismissed employers' call to cut
health and social security taxes.
                                
 "We will not lower health and social security contributions,
there's no economic room for this," Fico said.
                                
 Fico said he was considering higher health and social
security contributions for higher-income earners, as a measure
which would help to boost budget revenues and back the planned
fiscal consolidation.
                                
 Slovakia, using the euro zone currency since January 2009,
has pledged to axe its fiscal deficit to the EU's official limit
of 3 percent of gross domestic (GDP) by 2012, down from 6.8
percent in 2009.
                                
 The government aims to cut the gap to 5.5 percent of GDP
this year.
 (Reporting by Martin Santa; editing by Stephen Nisbet)