Prague, Nov 24 (CTK) – Czech right-wing opposition parties today called on the centre-left government to halt the whole project of the electronic registration of sales (EET) and they challenged the changes in the EET proposed by Finance Minister Andrej Babis (ANO) at the very last moment.
According to the original plan, the EET for hotels and restaurants will be launched on December 1.
The right-wing TOP 09 said Babis’s proposals for changes make the situation chaotic.
The Civic Democrats (ODS) said they will recommend to parliament that the EET be abolished.
ODS leader Petr Fiala said there is no other possibility than to abolish the EET. “Exemptions will only worsen the system. Laws should be clear and simple,” he said.
ODS was right to warn against the problems that the EET would bring to small businesses and tradespeople, Fiala said.
The Mayors and Independents (STAN) would like to exclude small entrepreneurs from the EET.
Unless the EET is promptly halted, the three government parties will bear responsibility for chaos and liquidation of thousands of small businesses, TOP 09 said.
On Wednesday, Babis proposed to his coalition partners, the Social Democrats (CSSD) and the Christian Democrats (KDU-CSL), that tradespeople who pay flat expense write-offs and whose annual business revenues do not exceed 250,000 crowns be exempted from the system. He also proposed some exemptions for Internet shops.
STAN chairman Petr Gazdik said Babis finally grasped that small businesses needed more protection. It is a shame that the government did not realise this earlier, he added.
Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka (CSSD) criticised Babis for presenting such changes only one week before the launch of the system. He ordered Babis to present the impact of the proposed changes to the cabinet on Monday.
Lower house budgetary committee head Vaclav Votava (CSSD) said the EET is such a large project that its parameters should not be challenged shortly before its launch. He said he criticised the poor preparation of the system some time ago already.
