Army pays 2,000 staff for being idle

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Politics

The pressure on Social Democratic (SPÖ) Defence and Sport Minister Norbert Darabos is increasing as a new Audit Office (RH) examination indicates a waste of taxpayers’ money by the army. The RH announced yesterday (Tues) that 2,059 army employees were inactive in 2010. The institution said that these circumstances cost the state 66.1 million Euros […]

AK calls for cooperation tax hike

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Business

Labour Chamber (AK) President Herbert Tumpel has demanded higher corporation taxes. Tumpel said yesterday (Thurs) Austrian firms had handed over just 17 per cent in taxes in 2010 despite the mandatory 25 per cent taxation rate. He explained the investigated enterprises used various loopholes to evade worse tax burdens. The AK investigated the performance of […]

Cut promotion expenses to pay parliament renovation, says FPÖ

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Politics

The Freedom Party (FPÖ) has called on the federal government ministries to spend less on advertisements in order to help finance the nearing renovation of the parliament. The parliament – located in Vienna’s Innere Stadt district – must undergo extensive refurbishments in the coming years due to the derelict state of some areas of the […]

Rampant corruption in Austria

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Business

Around 10 per cent of Austrians bribed authorities last year and almost one in two believe corruption in the country is on the rise, according to a study.Transparency International (TI) announced yesterday (Thurs) every eleventh Austrian admitted having acted corruptly in bribing officials of various sectors of public life in 2009. The internationally operating non-government […]

VIA hit by leaked RH Skylink report

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Business

Vienna International Airport (VIA) decision-makers are under fire after details of an Audit Office (RH) investigation into the delayed construction of a new terminal were revealed.Viennese daily Kurier reports today (Mon) that bosses at Flughafen Wien AG – the firm which manages the airport – failed to react instantly when first technical difficulties with submitted […]

VIA checks Skylink compensation claims chances

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Business

The company running Vienna International Airport (VIA) may launch legal action against firms hired to build a controversial new terminal, it has emerged.Flughafen AG said today (Thurs) it was negotiating with its legal team over whether to call for compensation from companies hired to build Skylink, a terminal that was set to open in 2008. […]

Study shows most parents feel let down by politics

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Politics

The vast majority of Austrian mothers and daughters feel left alone by politicians, a survey has found.Vienna-based research agency Karmasin – who interviewed 500 parents in March and April – revealed today (Thurs) that 82 per cent felt “let down” by politicians when it comes to support for their situation.Austria has been criticised in various […]