Summary of newsmakers of the previous day – 26.4.2006

Representatives regraded most of food in 5-percent VAT tariff

The Parliament has regraded some foods in lower 5-percent VAT tariff. Only alcoholic beverages stay in the basic 19-percent tariff according to the Food Chamber. If the change comes into force, consumers can estimate, according to the Chamber and some producers, likely depreciation of these products. The proposal has to be negotiated by the Senate and signed by the president of republic. “If the amendment passes the whole legislative process, we assume that prices in connection with the change of tax tariff likely will decrease”, a spokeswoman of Kraft Foods CR, Jitka Hofmanová, said. For example coffee Jacobs and Dadák or chocolate Milka and Figaro belong among marks of the company in the Czech Republic.

Emission CO2 in the Czech Republic was under the EU limit last year

Emissions of carbon dioxide were in the Czech Republic last year 15 percent under a limit set by the European Union. “Emission of so called greenhouse gas reached 82 – 83 million tons”, the deputy minister of environment, Tomáš Novotný presented today as a preliminary data. According to him, the final data will be known in half of May.

Representatives put through law on expropriation

The Czech state has a new tool in hand which could help to solve problems with building of roads, highways and railways. The representatives voted down the president veto yesterday and approved a law on expropriation in public interest. According to Václav Klaus the law was at variance with the constitution. The Minister for Local Development Radko Martínek says, on the contrary, that it improves a position of owners of expropriated plots. “Newly it offers also a possibility of exchange of a plot for a plot, which above all farmers will welcome. It brings us among really civilized countries”, says Martínek. After the defeat of Klaus’s veto 116 representatives raised their hands; only lawmakers of opposition ODS according to them the law can be misused, were against it.

MZe does count nor on compensations neither buy-out of unsaleable poultry

The Ministry of agriculture does not count on payment of compensation to breeders of poultry in protection zones which have problems with sale of their production. The state also does not count on buy-out of unsaleable poultry, the spokesman of the ministry, Tomáš Loskot, said to the ČTK after a negotiation of EU ministers of agriculture. He reacted to a case of the entrepreneurs Martin Wolf, whose more than 60  000 fattened broilers from farm in Žíteč in Jindřichův Hradec region the Jihočeská drůbež Vodňany does not want to take due to bird flu. “The Ministry could provide a compensation, if there was a deep fall of prices. Otherwise it is a matter of a contract of a breeder with purchaser”, the spokesman said. He added that the EU, according today’s agreement will pay to the Czech Reublic a half of costs for production damping not to arise excessive reserves. The second half will be paid by the state.

Source: Agris, 27.4.2006