Slovakia's Government is making enormous efforts to prevent the increase of inflation, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico said on television show on Sunday.

According to the premier, inflation is being influenced especially by the prices of energy and foodstuffs. Next year the prices of electricity for households shouldn't rise. "Based on the same principle, we reject the proposals of Slovakia's gas utility Slovensky Plynarensky Priemysel (for a 20-percent increase)."

Fico also said that the level of inflation in 2009 in Slovakia will move at the level of the EU's average, which is a laudable achievement. "We won't allow the increase of energy prices. They are inappropriately high already in Slovakia given the purchasing power of citizens".

(Slovak Television, TASR; illustration photo TASR)