One-off payment for pensioners

Czech seniors should receive a so-called “face-mask bonus” of up to 6,000 crowns. Critics call it a pre-election bribe.

The government wants to decide on the parameters of the payment within a week. The amount of 6,000 crowns was proposed by the Minister of Labor and Social Affairs Jana Maláčová (ČSSD – Czech Social Democratic Party).

However, the Minister of Finance Alena Schillerová (independent/ANO) does not want the payment to exceed 4,000 crowns. That would still cost the state treasury 12 billion crowns in total.

Representatives of the opposition have criticized the intention. According to them, it is fiscally irresponsible – due to the pandemic, the budget deficit will be a record of 500 billion crowns this year. Some would rather see more targeted help. And some consider this to be a bribe for the voters before regional and senate elections in October.