PRAGUE: Slovak Prime Minister Peter Pellegrini said on Thursday he would temporarily take on the role of finance minister from next week when Peter Kazimir leaves to become head of the central bank.
Pellegrini said he would appoint a new minister once his government has finalised the details of a planned spending package for next year's budget.Kazimir will take over at the central bank in June and will represent the euro zone country at the European Central Bank. As finance minister since 2012, he has won praise for narrowing the budget deficit, which the government aims to reduce to zero this year.
"On Thursday I will thank Minister Kazimir and temporarily take over running the finance ministry," Pellegrini said at a forum run by newspaper Hospodarske Noviny. The coalition government is considering abandoning plans for a small surplus in 2020 as it looks at implementing proposals such as prolonging maternity leave or cutting the corporate tax to 15 per cent, from 21 per cent.