Archive of articles - September 2004, page 2

Investors still chase incentives

OFFICIALS claim that Slovakia has achieved its goal of creating a favourable business environment and that the country does not need to provide further investment incentives to attract investors.However, recent large investments in Slovakia showed that additional incentives are still important decision-making factors. Without them Slovakia would not have successfully courted PSA Peugeot Citroen or Kia, for example. Experts point out that getting special incentives are more-or-less a question of individual negotiation with the government.

Modra

THE FAMOUS Slovak historian Ján Matej Korabinský once wrote: "Bratislava vineyards are the largest, Svätý Jur's the best, Pezinok's the most precious, and the Modra ones the most fruitful."Welcome to the picturesque ribbon-villages of the Small Carpathians, where viticulture and the cultivation of distinctive wines have been the preoccupation of the region's inhabitants for centuries.

Laws to stop juvenile marauders?

Reader feedback: "Positive discrimination" an oxymoron

Around Slovakia

Youth dies in hijacked car accidentUS Jews aim to repair cemeteryBaby Zdenka doing fineFuture of castle looks brightTrain kills homeless manEnthusiasts tap into outer spaceDriver survives train crash

Fuel discrepancy angers group

FREIGHT hauling association ČESMAD has accused Slovnaft of deliberately selling diesel fuel cheaper in the Czech Republic than in Slovakia. The haulier group has asked the Slovak antitrust office to investigate Slovakia's most prominent retail seller of fuels.ČESMAD Secretary General Katarina Vinceová recently told a news conference that the Slovak refiner routinely sells diesel at Sk2 more per litter (5 cents) than in the neighbouring Czech Republic."The association has based its calculation on a comparison of the sale price of diesel adjusted by value added tax and the excise tax," said Vinceová.

Documentaries to dupe for

IMAGINE the scene: A massive new hypermarket advertises its grand opening, promising huge discounts to attract customers. The advertisements even proclaim the store to be disingenuous, but thousands of people, intent on frenzied shopping, ignore the disclaimers. Instead they form a queue outside the building, excitedly waiting for the doors to open. When the ribbon is cut the crowd surges forward, only to find on that they have been well and truly conned.

ATM withdrawals, terminals increase

Quote of the Week

Et tu, Slovakia?

SLOVAKIA hosted a conference for the International Committee for Democracy in Cuba this week, indicating a seismic shift in Slovak foreign policy towards Cuba.Meanwhile, Slovak non-governmental organisations (NGO) have been actively supporting Cuba's political dissidents, and several Slovak representatives have criticised the Castro regime for human rights violations, especially after the Cuban government detained a number of people accused of conspiring with the US.Slovakia's increasing involvement was last seen September 20, when Bratislava hosted a conference supporting the democratic movement in Cuba. The conference came after a meeting held in Prague on September 16 through 19 by the International Committee for Democracy in Cuba.

Marginalised art goes to the masses

APPROXIMATELY 3,000 professional artists in Slovakia make their living by selling their work. But for investors the contemporary market here is decidedly under-exposed.With no regular platform to showcase progressive art, the would-be buyer is denied the opportunity to track developments in Slovak modern art.

Total enters Slovak market

Cartoon

Healthcare reform squeaks through

THE HEALTHCARE system is set for a major overhaul following the passage of six laws that, according to the Health Ministry, will open the way for a more efficient and transparent healthcare service.The reform is one of the commitments the current cabinet made in its electoral programme, which the four ruling parties approved after the 2002 parliamentary elections.

ANO parliamentary caucus expands

"Unique operation"

A RARE engineering feat captured media and public attention last weekend in the Slovak capital. The fifth bridge over the River Danube, which has been under construction for nearly two years, was eased into place.Instead of building the twin-arch highway bridge over the river, construction crews assembled it entirely on the left bank.

Left-wing parties might merge with Smer

Events Countrywide

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