Archive of articles - October 2003, page 2

Three nights full of jazz and visitors

THE RISING popularity of jazz in Slovakia was again seen in the sold-out performances at the annual Bratislava Jazz Days festival, which ended on October 19.The three-day jazz marathon, held as usual at the PKO complex, drew fans from across the country. The venue holds 2,000 people, and tickets sold out at the beginning of the festival week, except for around 200 a day held for sale at the door."They were sold within two hours," event organiser and Slovak jazz legend Peter Lipa told the TASR news agency.

New attack on crime

ON OCTOBER 21 the parliament approved legislation establishing the office of the special prosecutor and a special court, which the government hopes will be an effective tool in the fight against corruption and organised crime.The measure represents a further shift in the organisation of the prosecution, a heavily discussed topic in recent weeks.

Košice conductor wins European contest

THIRTY-year-old conductor of the Košice State Theatre Igor Dohovič won the 10th annual competition organised by the European Union for young conductors, which took place from October 12 to 14 in Spoleto, Italy, the SITA news agency reported.

Draft to ban discrimination in state service

Italians join Šamorín industrial park

Dzurinda says coalition strong enough

Money for industrial parks unused

OZAP furnishes Slovak interiors

THE AJ OZAP company, which offers equipment for business clients, has operated on the Slovak market for more than eight years.AJ Ozap belongs to a group of AJ companies with locations in 14 countries across Europe. The name of the Swedish partner is AJ Produkter AB.Swedish capital represents a 30 percent share in the AJ OZAP shareholders' structure.

More liberal visa regime with Ukraine?

AS THE Ukrainian media claims that the iron curtain has been replaced by a velvet one, Slovakia's Hungarian Coalition Party (SMK) has called for the liberalization of the Slovak visa regime with Ukraine. Foreign Ministry State Secretary József Berényi believes that a more liberal regime would fuel business activities and strengthen cross border cooperation and tourism. He says that visas should be issued free of charge for Ukrainians.

Events Countrywide

BRATISLAVAWESTERN SLOVAKIACENTRAL SLOVAKIAEASTERN SLOVAKIA

Rybníček: STV was a milking cow

IN THE NINE months since Richar Rybníček was named to lead the troubled public broadcaster Slovak Television (STV), dramatic changes have taken place in the institution, including massive lay-offs and the reduction of robust debts.Rybníček has fired hundreds of STV employees and, through strict economic measures, stopped the accumulation of its spiralling debt, which is now at Sk680 million (€16.2 million).

Budget pleases IMF, and IMF Mikloš

THE MAJORITY of Slovak citizens are weary from the impact of economic changes; nevertheless, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is rosy about the recent economic development of this post-communist central European country.The continuing growth of the economy, narrowing macroeconomic imbalances, declining unemployment, and low core inflation are the main reasons for the optimism of the IMF, which conducted its mission to Slovakia from October 7-15, 2003.

Slovakia an inferior NATO member?

UNLESS SLOVAKIA keeps its commitment to spend 2 percent of the state's GDP on the defence sector in 2004, it may become a second rank player in NATO, former Defence Minister Ivan Šimko warned recently.New Defence Minister Juraj Liška maintained, however, that although the draft 2004 budget foresees 1.81 percent of GDP for his sector, additional money that would raise the sum to the required proportion of GDP would flow to his sector through other budgetary chapters.

Slovak cinema - gone with the wind?

THE PAST decade may have been the worst in the history of Slovak cinema. Only around 2 percent of box office tickets sold in Slovak cinemas were for Slovak films. That is well below the European average of 20 percent that goes to domestic films. US films take the bulk of filmgoers' money: around 60 percent."The most popular film in Slovakia in 2002 was the inevitable Harry Potter, followed by Lord of the Rings," notes Susan Newman-Baudais of the European Audiovisual Observatory.

Smer names shadow cabinet

IKEA grows strong on Slovakia's soil

SWEDISH FURNITURE company IKEA started its relationship with Slovakia in the 1950s, in the times of the socialist Czechoslovak Republic, when the founder of IKEA, Ingvar Kamprad, began to buy the materials for his products here.IKEA opened its first store in Bratislava on 2000 square metres in 1992. Today, the Slovak IKEA store is located on 21,500 square metres, and in Slovakia, there are three firms operating as part of the IKEA international industrial group, Swedwood.In 1989, IKEA invested in the production group Spartan Trnava, now a part of the IKEA Group and its network of production companies, Swedwood.

US firm to buy Radio Twist

Foreign currency reserves hit record

Importing Swedish wisdom

SWEDEN is known for the high quality of its products, for which the internal market of nine million is too small. As a country expressly oriented towards exports, it has 35 trade representatives around the world. The general honorary consul of this Scandinavian country, Ruben Kemény, has led the Swedish Business Council in Slovakia since its establishment in 1974."The structure of the Swedish economy is formed by a couple of big firms that are represented all over the world. However, numerous small and medium sized firms are upholding the skeleton of the economy," Kemény said.