Archive of articles - September 1997

Government records 24.269 bn Sk budget deficit at end of August

Slovnaft: more profit than '96

Slovak tour guide, unemployed woman charged with stealing Diana mementos

Two Slovak were forced to pay a fine and leave the country after being caught and arrested on September 10 for stealing mementos that had been left outside London's Westminster Abbey as tributes to the late Diana Princess of Wales.The women, tour guide Mária Rigociová, 56, and Agneša Cihelská, unemployed and celebrating her 50th birthday, both pleaded guilty but said in their defense that it is custom in Slovakia to take objects as keepsakes from someone's grave, adding that other people were doing the same thing.The women were arrested on September 11 and charged with taking 11 teddy bears, flowers, a framed picture of the princess, and other items. A British judge initially sentenced the pair, on a touring group from Slovakia to the British capital, to 28 days in jail and a fine, but a second judge on the case, Geoffrey Rivlin, let them off on a fine of 200 British pounds (11,000 Sk) each.

Letter to the Editor: Hainburg should respect Slovaks, not threaten

Currency reserves at '97 high

Company Profile: Jacobs Suchard Figaro

Anyone who walks down Račianska ulica in Bratislava is likely accustomed to sniffing the sweet smells of chocolate wafting from the factory of Jacobs Suchard Figaro a.s. (JSF), a daughter company of Kraft Food International Inc., which in turn is wholly-owned by the Philip Morris Group.Without Philip Morris, JSF, with 46 percent of the confectionery market in Slovakia, would most likely have had major problems steadily increasing its market position and surviving against the aggressive competition of outside chocolate makers. The company also produces coffee under the Jacobs and Dadák brands."The overall amount of investments put into the plant after 1992 was around half a billion Slovak crowns," Rudolf Stelzhammer, JSF's deputy chairman, said. The quality and the hygienic conditions within the production process are now comparable to any western European plant owned by Kraft Jacobs Suchard, Stelzhammer added.

Chirana output down by 10%

The Spotlight

Men In BlackRichard IIIJurassic park II: lost worldSpeed 2: Cruise ControlDonnie Brasco

Best duck in town distinguishes Tsing Tao

Let's face it, Chinese restaurants in Slovakia are pretty much the same. They all tend to have the same menus, whether its called Monk's Food, or Buddha's Delight, or Eight Treasures, or Special Dish. We were hoping for variety at the newest arrival of Chinese cuisine to Bratislava - Tsing Tao. But we didn't find much, yet we found some other things that make it worth a trip.Tsing Tao is located next to Zimny štadión (hockey rink) where the Rock Café used to bring us Frank Sinatra or U2 impersonators. Newly renovated, the interior is fresh, clean, stark, and comfortable, and the background music is exclusively Chinese.Unfortunately there is no outside seating for warm evenings. The most noticeable feature is that you are not greeted by a fog of smoke coming from the kitchen which appears in most Chinese restaurants in Slovakia, usually the result of not changing the cooking oil frequently enough. At the moment a no smoking section doesn't exist.

Letter to the Editor: Newspaper press is really free

South Africans buy Šariš

Gold dispute exposes Slovak, Czech rancor

"Velvet" mythology to the contrary, it would seem that even political divorces are not without their rough edges. As recent statements by Slovak and Czech government officials demonstrate, much rancor still exists between the former partners, particularly over the question of who gets to keep the former federal gold reserves.The dissolution of Czechoslovakia on December 31, 1992 left an embarrassment of riches to be divided between the new Czech and Slovak Republics. But almost five years later, many of those monies remain to be disbursed, principal among them several tons of gold with a market value of 1.7 billion Sk that are claimed by the Slovaks and 24.5 billion Sk in bank reserves demanded by the Czechs. Both sides have consistently accused eachother of double-dealing and have refused to back away from confrontation.

Belveder development complex in Banská Bystrica is futuristic

Most of Slovakia's cities have undergone impressive revitalization projects over the past few years. The rebuilding of Košice's Hlavná ulica, Žilina's Mariánske námestie, and Nitra's Štefánikova ulica have breathed new life into these long-neglected city centers. But one of the first projects promising to energize to an entirely new section of a Slovak town is the Belveder Multifunctional Zone in the central Slovak town of Banská Bystrica.Built on a hilltop site where an auto campground stood until recently, Belveder is being developed by a company called IKM Reality-Staving to be "a city within the city." Construction began earlier this month on the project, which will combine residential, office, and shopping space.The Belveder blueprint includes 300 apartments, "urban villas," offices, street-level shops, a four-star hotel with 250 beds and a congress hall, and a pension with a restaurant, fitness center, pool, and sauna.

Manufacturer to export 79.6% of output

Effective managers lead by giving clear directions

The ability to manage people can make or break even the best of marketing plans and how they are executed.After all, people are a manager's most important resource, and are integral in realizing any marketing strategy.But managers - leaders - must lead, and must give clear directions to those who work for them.

Simplify the green card renewal process

Like a child with an assortment of new goodies who can't decide which one to play with first, authorities at the Slovak aliens and border police (who provide and renew green cards) are constantly toying with the green card renewal process, blithely tacking on new requirements that confuse rather than clarify.The result is that the renewal process is more difficult than ever, and foreigners are more frustrated by the day.It's easy to understand why.

Bratislava Music Festival celebrates youth

MN Start on Hviezdoslavovo námestie, the tree-lined square dominated by the Slovak National Theater. The theater, which was built in 1886, hosted the internationally renowned Slovak soprano Lucia Popp - who was born nearby in the town of Zahorská Ves and attended the Bratislava Music Academy - for her first performance as the Queen of the Night in 1989. Peter Dvorský, Slovakia's most famous contemporary opera singer, has been absent from his hometown stage for political reasons, but the Slovak National Opera and Ballet are still worth a wonderful night out.MN To the right of the theater is The Reduta, home of the Slovak Philharmonic. Luxuriously restored on the inside, the 80-year-old building now houses a first-class restaurant and a casino; the orchestra, which was founded in 1949, plays in the main hall.

Current account deficit puts dangerous pressure on Sk

2nd week quietThe second week in the market was a more tranquil time. We did not see any interest from foreign investors to open long-term positions, as the NBS held fast in its desire to hold money market rates at higher levels and capping crown index movement at higher levels.The downward trend is limited by the parity's strong support level, where we see strong foreign investor interest in hard currency purchases.The slovak currency's index fluctuated for the rest of the week in a narrow range from 1.0050 to 1.0100.

Zinkovňa Malacky was finished after seeing an investment of $5.5m