Drabek defends S-Cards

Former labour and social affairs minister Jaromír Drábek (TOP 09) said on the Sunday television talk show Partie on Prima Family channel that those who want to discontinue the current S-Card social benefits payment scheme should pay for the loses this will cost the state. Mr Drábek, who introduced the new system last year, said it will save the state up to three billion crowns in the next 12 years, which is the duration of the current contract between the ministry and the Česká spořitelna bank that is administering distribution of welfare payments through the S-Card. Prime Minister Petr Nečas called on the current Labour Minister Ludmilla Mullerová (TOP 09) to terminate the highly criticized scheme last week, and the cabinet rejected a proposal to maintain the S-Card system on Thursday.