Archive of articles - January 2004, page 2

Roadshows recruit eight new businesses to the east

SHORTLY after arriving in the eastern city of Košice, American steel producer US Steel established its own Economic Development Centre (EDC) to promote eastern Slovakia as a favourable place for investment."The centre has one purpose - to promote economic growth and the creation of new jobs in the region. The objective of the EDC is to increase the inflow of foreign direct investments into eastern Slovakia," said Ján Bača, the spokesman for US Steel Košice.

Roma call plans for special officers racist

THE INTERIOR Ministry's plans to introduce specially trained officers to assist in keeping order in Roma settlements have raised protests and been called fascist. Some Roma leaders have dubbed the idea inhumane and discriminatory against the minority.At the January 14 cabinet meeting, Interior Minister Vladimír Palko defended his plans when presenting an analysis on the special officers as a part of the cabinet's long-term strategy for solving problems in poor Roma communities in Slovakia.

Equal rights fight quiets

THE LENGTHLY conflict over Slovakia's anti-discrimination legislation may have come to an end, as Deputy Prime Minister Pál Csáky and Justice Minister Daniel Lipšic agreed on the form of the law on January 15. As a result, instead of amendments to several laws, a single piece of legislation will guarantee equal treatment to all citizens in Slovakia, as required by the European Union.Following several unsuccessful attempts, experts are outlining a compromise version of the act.

Weiser: Slovak pride on the rise

THERE is no better place to invest than Slovakia. A flat tax is one of the incentives the country offers, as is one of the best labour codes in Europe, said United States Ambassador to Slovakia Ronald Weiser in an interview with The Slovak Spectator. The ambassador also believes that Slovakia will be the automobile capital of central Europe and one of the leading automobile manufacturers in the world.

New NBÚ boss at last?

Samsung moves in

SAMSUNG Electronics has said it is closing a plant in Britain and transferring production from Spain to Slovakia, one of the 10 countries joining the European Union in May 2004.The move, announced on January 15, will cost Great Britain and Spain more than 800 jobs and at the same time create 1,000 new jobs in the western Slovak town of Galanta, where Samsung Electronics Slovakia is to launch the production of audiovisual equipment.

Now playing

Reader feedback: The social cost of drinking

Remembering Warchal every year

MEMBERS of the Slovak Chamber Orchestra, established by violinist Bohdan Warchal in 1960, recently came up with the idea of commemorating their founder, who died three years ago, in the annual concert series Hommage á Bohdan Warchal.The first such concert will take place this coming Thursday, January 29, at 19:00 at the Concert Hall of the Slovak Philharmonic. The orchestra will perform works by Arcangelo Corelli, Franz Schubert, Johann Sebastian Bach, and Leoš Janáček, who were among the artist's favourite composers.

Mečiar to run for presidency

Cartoon

The referendum is a bad idea

HISTORY seems to be repeating itself, as Slovakia will most likely experience its second referendum initiated by opposition parties in an effort to bring about early elections in just over three years.Many of the problems related to the previous referendum have returned to haunt the coalition, which failed to address basic constitutional and legal issues.The prospect of the referendum succeeding is worrying now, just as it was then. The ultimate question is whether success is more likely today than it was during the previous election term.

A pioneer in Kechnec park

THE US firm Molex was one of the first foreign companies to begin operating in the Kechnec industrial park near Košice, Slovakia.Molex started its business activities in the eastern European country in the 1990s by creating two joint venture companies: Sylex in Bratislava and Moltes in Liptovský Hrádok.

Opposition divided

ALTHOUGH the ruling coalition has recently lost its parliamentary majority, deep divisions in the ranks of the opposition make a fall of the government in the weeks to come unlikely. However, Slovakia's political future remains difficult to forecast, which is taking a serious toll on the country's reputation among investors, according to experts.The government headed by PM Mikuláš Dzurinda, which started its election term after the September 2002 general elections backed by 78 MPs, can only count on the votes of 68 parliamentarians of the 150-member assembly.

Top-10 US business school active in Slovakia

THE UNIVERSITY of Economics in Bratislava has formed a partnership with the William Davidson Institute of the US University of Michigan Business School to offer executive education programmes in the Slovak capital.The William Davidson Institute, based at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA and the Centre for Advanced Studies of the University of Economics in Bratislava have announced plans to offer a 10-day training programme in management this May in Bratislava.

Mikloš on 2004: more reforms

Slegers: US business presence strong

THE AMERICAN Chamber of Commerce has provided a high-profile forum for the international business community in Slovakia for nearly a decade. Apart from attracting the business elite, it has initiated essential debates pertaining to the urgent business issues that the country faces. The Slovak Spectator spoke with the executive director of the AmCham, Jake Slegers, in late December.

Reader feedback: That's a good car!

Jazz on CD

Oscar on my mindErnest Oláh TrioPublished by: Jazz'n'Arts RecordsPrice: Sk399Available at: seleced CD storesPUBLISHED posthumously and in a foreign country, this album showcases the talent of Slovak pianist Ernest Oláh, who has been called one of the best of Slovakia's older generation of jazz musicians.