Archive of articles - July 2001, page 3

Energy market to take first step to liberalisation

Dzurinda government hits new popularity low

White Bike a 'moral test' for city dwellers

Bratislava Old Town was given its first biely bicykel ('white bike', a free, public-use bicycle) on July 18. The initiators of the experiment called it a test to determine whether a more expansive programme of free public transport, similar to those found in some western cities, could be developed in the Slovak capital.The idea behind the white bike scheme is to provide bicycles that any member of the public can use to get around, with the last user leaving the vehicle in a suitable condition and location for others to follow suit."In principle, this is like a public test of our morality," said Old Town spokesman Milan Vajda. "We'll see if we can have public bicycles without them being stolen. In Bratislava, and in Slovakia in general, if something is not locked up there is a high probability of it being stolen."

Privatisation proceeds to pay off national debt

Fears over bankruptcy wave disappear

Eurostart recommended as Imuna winner

Harsco to start production on site from US Steel

Mikloš argues for 90% deposit protection

Piešťany spa gets pre-privatisation audits

Slovakia rejects EU rush-to-judgement

Even before the results of an investigation into the beating to death of 51 year-old Roma Karol Sendrei were known, foreign and domestic minority rights observers were in full cry last week against what they alleged was another case of police brutality against the Slovak Roma.Sendrei died in police custody on July 7 of wounds sustained in undetermined circumstances. His sons, who were taken into custody with him July 6, say that they were beaten by police in eastern Slovakia's Revúca, a charge the police themselves deny. According to the police, Sendrei sustained his mortal wounds in an earlier fight with the mayor of the village of Magnezitovce.

Environment and the EU: "Money's going to be the key"

Tom Owen belongs to that rare breed, the expatriate who has "gone native" during his seven years in Slovakia, but who remains in touch with high-level international events.Owen is at the top of the Slovak environmental advisory heap as a counsellor to the Deputy Environment Minister on EU issues, as well as policy advisor to the Danish Environmental Protection Agency, part of a Danish aid programme to central and eastern Europe. The Danes have been the largest bilateral donor in the environment field to Slovakia for the last several years.

Investors call on government to put promises into practice

The top 15 foreign investors in Slovakia have told the government that while it has made great progress in passing laws to create a positive business climate for investors, it must make a greater effort to ensure those laws function properly in practice, especially at local government level.Speaking after a round-table meeting with the heads of the biggest investors in Slovakia, Prime Minister Mikuláš Dzurinda said July 9 that "while there is general satisfaction among investors with the steps the government has taken [to encourage investment], what I have heard today is that we must ensure that these are put into practice"."After agreements reached with the central government, investors find it difficult to fulfil these agreements with [local public administration] offices," he added.

Quote of the Week

FNM calls new tender for SPaP shipping firm

Suspected Irish dissidents arrested by Slovak secret service

Britain is expected to request the extradition of three men suspected of links to the Real IRA, a terrorist splinter group from the IRA, after their arrest and detention in Slovakia July 6.The three, two of whom have been named as Michael McDonald and Declan Rafferty, were arrested in the west Slovak town of Piešťany after what was believed to have been a joint surveillance operation involving anti-terrorist forces from Slovakia, Britain and other central and east European states. The third man has yet to be named.The men, detained under warrants issued under Britain's Prevention of Terrorism Act, are thought to have been involved in plans to buy weapons for the terrorist organisation, probably from Croatia, and then ship them to the Irish Republic through central Europe. However, Slovak authorities have refused to comment on the case, other than to confirm that three men are being held.

Slovak wins country's first Grand Slam event

Politics, yields hurting bonds

A market appetite for mid-term government securities which has been waning since the start of the year hit a new low July 2 with the failure of an auction of state bonds with a two year maturity, dealers said.The issue, which attracted only 140 million crowns ($2.8 million) in bids, while the ministry had been looking to raise two billion crowns, came only a week after an auction of similar maturity bonds had pulled in bids far below government expectations: 680 million crowns against a planned one billion.In both cases the government - which uses its securities to finance state debt, including the redemption of previously issued bonds - set the papers' interest rates at just below 8%. The Finance Ministry has said that it will not offer anything higher, fearing the consequences to its financing plans if it has to pay back higher yields.

EU funds to be withheld over funding scandal

Markíza off the hook for Müller interview