Archive of articles - May 1999, page 7

SNS proposes referendum on NATO entry

A woman and a former actress too!

The elderly generation of patriarchal Slovakia has not been so surprised for a long time: A woman is daring to reach for the presidential "throne." Not only did she have the courage to reject the destiny reserved for her as a woman - a life bounded by kitchen, kids and church - but she has also been an actress. What is it we are witnessing?Over a year ago, the women's conference of the ruling coalition SDK party called in a strong voice for an increase in the number of women making decisions about Slovakia's future. The reaction of the political establishment was deep silence.In September 1998 elections, the SDK party, despite having ignored the demands of women, succeeded at the polls. In the election, which was basically a referendum on former Prime Minister Vladimír Mečiar, intelligent female voters had no choice.

Slovakia advances at World Champs

Indifference and double pricing: Slovak tourism needs new ideas

Tourists will soon be arriving in Slovakia for their summer vacations, and the Slovak tourist industry is preparing to receive them - with double-tier pricing, indifferent service and a sense of disorder.This is a pity, because the government is obviously hoping to attract some heavy foreign investment into the tourism industry in 1999. The cabinet's March scheme to attract foreign investment gives the biggest tax breaks to foreign firms which invest in tourism or in areas which have high unemployment , but some serious re-thinking remains to be done before the Slovak tourist industry becomes an inviting investment prospect.If this view sounds rather harsh, consider the following points.

Lexa wants TV set: Police say he is not eligible for one in custody

Slovnaft wants investor by end '99

Slovak Jan-April budget deficit 1.413 billion crowns

Slovakia to cut limit on privatisation projects

Deutsche Bank named ST sale adviser

Ending weeks of speculation, Telecom Minister Gabriel Palacka selected Deutsche Bank as the winner of a tender to become the legal and financial adviser for the privatisation of the state-run telecom monopoly Slovenské Telekomunikácie (ST). The Bratislava brokerage house Slávia Capital claimed on April 28 that it had been named by Deutsche Bank as the domestic partner.The Deutsche Bank consortium won the bid over two other consortiums, one headed by Solomon Brothers and the other by Rothschilds, said Stanislav Vanek, director of the ministry's regulatory department."The privatisation of ST will be achieved by offering a foreign investor a 34 to 49% share of the company through an increase in share assets," said Peter Druga, the Ministry's Telecommunications Policy Department Director. Revenues in the "hundreds of million dollars" for the state are expected by Palacka as the result of the ST privatisation.

Slovak paper producer SCP's exports rise in 1998

Central bank: No loosening of monetary policy soon

City University nonplussed by state accreditation

While still not a fully accredited academic institution in Slovakia, the American-based City University in Bratislava expects to garner full accreditation from the Ministry of Education by the end of this year. However, City University officials said the impending accreditation wouldn't change their teaching methods, since the school already produced what employers and analysts classified as "effective and highly motivated" graduates. In fact, university officials said, the ministry certificate was of minimal significance to the school.Part of the university's indifference to the accreditation question stems from the school's insistence that it is more concerned with producing graduates ready to step into the modern world of business.As Slovakia's unemployment rate continues to rise, with March figures hitting a record 17.6%, both schools and employers are putting a high premium on marketable skills. According to human resources companies in Bratislava, the two most important employee qualifications on the modern Slovak employment market are fluency in English and on-the-job experience.

Slovaks embrace debit card tech

While banknotes have become a relic of the past for many western consumers, plastic still invokes curious glances from domestic shopkeepers in Slovakia. With wide-spread proliferation of debit and credit cards matching the West still seemingly years away, "put it on my credit card" is not an expression one here can expect to hear anytime soon.According to local stores, banks and credit card companies, however, the trend is shifting as customers have begun to request the non-traditional forms of payment in dramatically increasing numbers, especially debit cards. But while debit card usage increased last year as much as four-fold, the credit card boom that struck America and western Europe over a decade ago still has a long way to go.

Volzová announces she will sell her stake in Markíza Ltd.

Between 120 and 150 Kosovo refugees to arrive in May

Letter to the Editor

Bratislava court decision grounds Slovak airplanes again

A recent decision by the Bratislava Regional Court has reversed a controversial deicision by the Transport Ministry to lease two of its three TU-154 aircraft to the private Air Transport Europe (ATE) airline.In two separate decisions on April 13 and 19, Bratislava judges claimed that the former lessor of the aircraft, one-time "national" air carrier Slovenské Aerolínie, were still legally contracted to the Ministry and thus the planes could not be leased by a third company.Created during the government of former Prime Minister Vladimir Mečiar, privately-owned Slovenské Aerolínie was given all three Russian-debt purchased planes and positioned as the state's national airline. The planes operated from May 1998 until January 15, 1999, when the Transport Minister Gabriel Palacka annulled the lease contracts with the company and confiscated the aircraft.

Kukan to lead U.N. Kosovo negotiations

In a move which promises to give new height to Slovakia's international standing, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan has named Slovak Foreign Minister Eduard Kukan one of two special United Nations envoys for Kosovo who will be charged with searching for a diplomatic solution for the worsening Yugoslav crisis.The announcement of Kukan's appointment was made unofficially by diplomats in Berlin April 28. His acceptance of the position was confirmed the following day by the Foreign Ministry spokesman in Bratislava."It's a big thing. It's a big honour and a big sign of recognition of his (Kukan's) ability," said spokesman Karol Šefčík. "I think it makes Slovakia even more [internationally] visible."

Mochovce fate unclear

The critical financial situation of Slovenskť Elektrárne (SE) may result in the discontinuation of construction on the third and fourth units of Mochovce nuclear power plant. Although no official statements have yet been made, TASR news agency reported that Slovak Economy Minister Ĺudovít Černák has already stated that the blocks would not be completed.SE has received grants worth upwards of 14 billion crowns in order to finish the construction, but Černák told SITA that stopping investment into the plant would save money and thus keep SE from either increasing gas prices or drawing funds directly from the state budget. His new proposal is to sell the incomplete blocks to a company, who would then find a way to compensate for the losses.