PM willing to agree on flood relief tax but only for year

Prime Minister Petr Nečas has said he would be willing to accept a new flood tax proposed by the finance minister but only for one year. He made the statement in an interview for the financial daily Hospodářské noviny on Friday, stressing that he was not willing to raise taxes for a longer period. Finance Minister Miroslav Kalousek raised the issue following recent flash floods which devastated parts of northern Bohemia. Under his plan, members of the workforce would contribute to a flood relief fund in the form of a 100 crown-a-month cut in their income tax break. The proposal has been a point of contention between the finance minister and the prime minister in the media since.