PRAGUE, Aug 10 (Reuters) - The centre-right cabinet of Petr
Necas won a parliamentary confidence vote on Tuesday and said it
would use its mandate to cut spending and state debt and fix its
creaking pension and healthcare systems. []
Following are main points from the programme.
BUDGET:
* Balance the budget by 2016, provided the economy grows.
The deficit should be reduced to the EU limit of 3 percent of
GDP by 2013 at the latest, from 5.3 percent seen this year.
* Adopt a constitutional law on budget discipline.
* Establish a national budget council to monitor spending
and assess the impact of proposed bills on the budget.
* Main savings measures for 2011:
- A 10 percent across-the-board cut in most operating
spending, including the state wage bill, excluding teachers. It
is estimated this should save 31 billion crowns ($1.65 billion).
- Cut wages of senior officials and lawmakers by 5 percent.
- Cut the annual state subsidy on home construction savings
accounts by half to 1,500 crowns per person, per year. This is
expected to save about 7 billion crowns.
- Impose a 20 percent income tax on betting companies and
gambling houses, rather than the standard 19 percent.
- Cut welfare benefits, reduce maternity leave, tighten
unemployment benefits, extend the period over which an employer
pays for sick leave for employees. This should bring 11 billion
crowns.
PENSION REFORM
* Build on conclusions of an expert commission which
recommended introducing another pillar to the pay-as-you-go
pension system in which workers would be obliged to pay into
private savings schemes. []
* Use any privatisation proceeds and dividends from
state-held firms to capitalise the old pay-as-you-go pillar.
PRIVATISATIONS:
* Keep a qualified majority of 60 percent in power group CEZ
<>. The government now owns 69.8 percent.
LABOUR CODE
* Amend the labour code to make it easier to hire and fire.
EUROPEAN UNION, EURO
* Push for further enlargement of the European Union, with a
focus on southeastern Europe.
* Push for creating a single European energy policy, and
diversification of resources.
* Support adhering to the European Union's Growth and
Stability Pact rules and have sanctions for breaking them.
* The programme does not include whether the government is
going to set a euro adoption date although parties had earlier
agreed not to do so. []
HEALTHCARE
* Split health coverage into standard care covered by state
insurance and above-standard treatment acquired through extra
contributions or private insurance.
* Scrap a 30 crown fee for every prescribed drug in favour
of a single 30 crown fee for each prescription list. Patients
would have to pay full price for cheap drugs, such as aspirin,
that are subsidised now.
* Raise the fee for a hospital stay to at least 100 crowns
($5.31) per day, from 60 crowns now.
* Raise the fee paid for visiting a specialist doctor
without first visiting a general practitioner.
EDUCATION
* Introduce a university tuition fee of up to 20,000 crowns
a year as of 2013/14. Students would have to pay the fee after
graduation when their wages rise above the national average.
* Transfer 2.1 billion crowns from the defence budget to
raise salaries of new teachers. Add another 4 billion crowns for
salaries in 2012.
ENERGY
* Support construction of the Nabucco gas pipeline to bring
Caspian gas to Europe and the Gazela pipeline running from the
north of the Czech Republic to Germany. Gazela should connect to
Nord Stream, a planned sub-Baltic pipeline connecting Russia and
Germany, and to the OPAL pipeline in eastern Germany.
* Push for diversification of energy resources to reduce
dependence on Russia.
* Support enlargement of the Temelin nuclear power plant and
modernisation of the Dukovany nuclear plant, both run by
majority state-owned power firm CEZ <>.
* Maintain existing territorial limits on brown coal mining.
OTHER ISSUES
* Change the constitution to allow for direct presidential
elections.
(Compiled by Jana Mlcochova)
