The fragile centre-right coalition of Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek announced Tuesday that it has fine-tuned its economic reform programme aimed at rescuing public finances and securing entry into the eurozone. A vote on the programme, which includes reforms to the tax, pension and health systems, could take place as early next week.
Subject to hostile attack from the left-wing opposition and trade unions, the package features an across-the-board 15-percent tax rate for individual taxpayers, dropping to 12.5 percent in 2009. This represents a massive cut for the highest earners currently paying a top rate of 32 percent.