Prague, March 1 (CTK) – The drawing of EU funds, completion of the Dukovany nuclear power plant, industry’s digitisation and support for investments are Czech PM Bohuslav Sobotka’s priorities at the Industry and Trade Ministry in addition to pressure for lower mobile data tariffs, he said yesterday.
Sobotka (Social Democrats, CSSD) temporarily took over the ministry from Jan Mladek (CSSD), whom he dismissed as from February 28.
Sobotka said the ministry will turn to Regional Development Minister Karla Slechtova (for ANO) for technicalities of EU money drawing.
He said he wants to get acquainted with the background of money drawing from the EU. The operational programme, which falls under the Industry and Trade Ministry, manages 1800 projects. This year, 12 billion crowns are to be paid out from it.
Sobotka has convoked a meeting of the parties in parliament for Friday to discuss a draft amendment to the electronic communication law, which Sobotka considers one of his priorities.
He would like the government to debate the controversial legislation on March 8 and lawmakers should deal with it in a shortened procedure.
Sobotka wants to meet Jan Stuller, government commissioner for nuclear energy, to discuss with him the construction of a new unit of the nuclear power plant in Dukovany, south Moravia.
Sobotka told journalists yesterday that Mladek did “a lot of work” at the ministry. He brought a number of investments to the country and his role in promoting export was also important, Sobotka added.
Sobotka proposed Mladek’s dismissal to President Milos Zeman last week.
Sobotka said he will propose a replacement for Mladek to Zeman after the CSSD’s election congress on March 10-11.
Sobotka mainly criticised Mladek’s inability to negotiate lower mobile data tariffs, which are among the highest in Europe, and the addition of a provision banning customers from negotiating individual tariffs with operators to a telecommunication bill.
Mladek’s successor is not yet known. It has been speculated that State Secretary for European Affairs Tomas Prouza, former industry minister Milan Urban and Mladek’s deputy Jiri Havlicek (all CSSD) could replace him.
($1=25.497 crowns)
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