Summary of newsmakers of the previous day – 24.5. 2007

Farmers can buy agricultural engineering and land with support of PGRLF

The Subsidiary and Guarantee Rural and Forestry Fund, Inc. (PGRLF) helps again to farmers to finance some investment. According to a spokeswoman of the Ministry of Agriculture Táňa Králová, starting with today it again accepts applications for providing of endowment of bank loan interest for purchase of agricultural engineering and private agricultural land. This year it should help in such a way with a sum over 700 million crowns. “The Fund adapted its supports to new rules of the European Union to a state support in agriculture and forestry for a period 2007 - 2013. Also in the future it will be certainly an important partner in realization of their investment intentions”, the Minister of Agriculture Petr Gandalovič said within publication of new principles for providing financial support. The minister reminded that already the second year PGRLF has not spent any means from the state budget.

Agrarian fines exceeded billion

Much over one billion crowns, it is a present height of “European” fines for the Czech Republic which the state has to pay owing to slips in agricultural policy. Mistakes of politicians and officers are mostly paid by tax payers. At least a hundred-crown note falls already on every citizen from “agrarian fines”. For the last time the government decided that 350 million crowns for excessive reserves before accession in the European Union will be paid by the Ministry of Agriculture. Neither politicians nor state officers will be punished for the mistakes which cost hundreds millions. “Though some decisions are signed for example by a former minister Palas or the premier Gross, what will you take on them? Anyway, the entire government of that time is responsible for it and you can hardly take it to court”, the Minister of Agriculture Petr Gandalovič enunciated. He came in for the causes for predecessors.

Ecological tax reform will give preferential treatment to heating of households with renewable resources of energy

The government at today's negotiations passed a final version of an ecological tax reform which is a part of reform law on stabilization of public budgets. As a spokesman of the Ministry of Environment of CR (MŽP) Jakub Kašpar warned, in the end the government attached itself to application of exception from taxation for heating of households with natural gas and central supply with heat (in case that heat energy is produced by a technology of combined production of electricity and heat). Neither electricity not heat from renewable resources, methane and hydrogen fuel elements will be subject to taxation of energies. The government maintained a zero rate of consumption tax for use of compressed natural gas in the transport. The consumption tax will be paid nor from electricity used in railway or urban service (trams, metro and trolley-buses).

Government passed plan of care for water

On Wednesday, the 23rd of May the government passed a Plan of main drainage areas of the CR which was proposed together by the Ministries of Agriculture and Environment. The Plan of main drainage areas is not a plan of building of dams but it is a long-term, conception for water protection from a viewpoint of amount and quality conformable with water policy of the European Union- An aim is then flood protection as well as provision of water reserves for case of drought and supply of inhabitants with drinking water.

Source: Agris, 25.05.2007