Poll: Most Czechs in favour of government reforms

Reforms in the tax, health-care, pensions and education systems are considered as necessary by the majority of Czechs, found an opinion poll conducted by the STEM agency. The majority of Czechs approve of the government’s tax, healthcare and welfare reforms launched on January 1 of this year. An overwhelming 77% of respondents said that they approved of the new taxation system, which cuts direct taxation in favour of indirect taxation. Some 74% of those polled said they were in favour of changes made in the healthcare system, while 66% of people said they expected the pensions system to be overhauled in a similar manner. The government’s reform package has caused some controversy since it was implemented at the beginning of this year, hospitals have refused to collect the fees that patients must now pay when visiting a doctor, and there have been grumbles about the rise in VAT.