In all the commotion over who will win the highway toll tender, commercially and politically, any chance of a reasonable discussion about why we would want a toll system, and what sort of toll system is best for the country, has been lost. This is a defeat for us all. The purpose of public procurement is to use private money collected through taxes and expend it on public goods that will deliver a higher value to the economy and society than if that money had been spent by individual citizens. Since we have had no public debate on what the value of highway tolls are, we have no way of assessing how much value we would receive from any winner of the tender.

The lower house of the Czech Parliament passed a bill on eletronic cash registers today with a majority of 105 votes. The system would apply to almost all transactions.The government claims that the online sales reporting system will clamp down on tax evasions and reduce grey economy. The opposition parties of TOP09 and the Civic Democrats (ODS) argue it will be an additional burden for businesses. Still, the Confederation of Industry and Trade of the Czech Republic, one of the biggest business associations in the country, supported the bill.