Social Democrats against proposed changes to EET law

The Social Democrats are unlikely to support Finance Minister Andrej Babis in pushing through last-minute changes to the law on electronic cash registers, Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka told journalists on Monday. Following a stormy cabinet session at which the issue was debated, the prime minister said the proposal to exempt e-shops and small entrepreneurs from the duty to have electronic cash registers would only weaken the legislation and lay it open to criticism from the opposition benches. The proposal sparked fierce controversy between Prime Minister Sobotka and ANO leader Andrej Babiš. The prime minister accused Mr. Babiš of damaging the reputation of the ruling coalition while Mr. Babiš said the Social Democrats had politicized the issue. The opposition centre-right parties say this is further proof that the law is ill-conceived and have called on the government to scrap the entire project.