Archive of articles - September 2007, page 12

Ozeta Neo textile plant closes its gates

Three bus crashes claim seven Slovak lives

IT WAS a tragic first week of September on the roads for Slovakia, with three fatal bus crashes.On the evening of September 2, a bus driving folk musicians from a festival at the Poľana Hotel back to the town of Hriňová drove off the narrow road into a ravine about 15 metres deep.

Stats Office revises GDP results to 9.4 percent

SLOVAKIA'S economy is healthy and grew 9.4 percent in real figures during the second quarter of 2007, said the Slovak Statistics Office in revising its flash estimate upwards by 0.2 percentage points.GDP growth has been strong for the fourth consecutive quarter, leaving market watchers hopeful about Slovakia's economic performance for the rest of the year.

Parliament open house draws hundreds

SEVERAL hundred curious people from all over Slovakia got an up-close look at their parliament on Open House Day on September 1.

Real estate registry website off to rocky start

THE NEW website providing free information on real estate owners in Slovakia broke the law on its first day of operation when it released birth ID numbers of some people included in the database.The law on the protection of personal data forbids the dissemination of a person's birth ID number without their permission.

Bank ombud's office to protect clients' rights

Nový Čas tabloid still tops print market

FEWER Slovaks are reading the newspaper, but about a million of them still read the Nový Čas tabloid every day.That adds up to about 22 percent of the Slovak population, making Nový Čas the most-read national daily newspaper, according to a recent survey from the Median SK agency.

Breaking the ice in Prešov

STARÁ TEHELŇA - a community in Prešov that houses Roma, "rent dodgers", and other socially marginalised groups - is the setting for the final performance of the Stanica Východ festival on September 14.Stará Tehelňa made headlines in 2005 when the local government planned to build a wall to separate the problematic area from its "normal" neighbours.

Non-confidence motions a theatre of the absurd?

THERE was really nothing unusual about the opposition's recent attempt in parliament to have Labour Minister Viera Tomanová sacked for what the Slovak Democratic and Christian Union (SDKÚ), the Hungarian Coalition Party (SMK) and the Christian Democratic Party (KDH) called "moral and professional failure".There was really nothing surprising about the fact that this completely legitimate attempt to use a democratic tool to impeach a cabinet minister has turned into a 17-hour blame game between the ruling coalition and the opposition, and that Tomanová will continue heading up her ministry.

Unemployment down, wages up

THOUGH Slovakia has kept its gloomy standing near the top of the European Union's jobless rankings, the latest reports give some reason for optimism with the lowest jobless figure in more than 10 years.The country's current jobless rate, about 11 percent, is the lowest since 1996. Labour market watchers suggest the numbers might be the first sign of a slowdown of the outflow of Slovaks taking jobs abroad.

Around Slovakia

Schöner Náci finally buried in BratislavaCitizens applaud Queen Anna's coronationPetržalka artificial beach drew 55,000 visitorsBattle of the beards a highlight of hunters' festival

Convergence festival contrasts modern with classic

JOZEF LUPTÁK has done it again. For the eighth straight year, the renowned Slovak cellist has brought together some of the world's best instrumentalists for the Convergence chamber music festival.

Hot properties attract diverse investors

Landlord law takes effectLANDLORDS planning to rent out real estate must now register with the Tax Office or face a Sk200,000 (€5,900) fine.The amended law took effect this month, the Nový Turiec reported."The amended law has changed, apart from other things, the conditions for the registration and notification duty of (individuals who rent property)," said the head of the Tax Office in Martin, Ján Žila. "This affects mainly those citizens who rent a flat, non-residential rooms or other real estate, not including lots."

Mečiar cassette deciphered

Harabin appoints new Slovak representative to Eurojust

Fico media relations may influence PES

SARIO invites Slovak companies to Zagreb Autumn Fair

Slovakia had 386,314 people below the poverty line at the end of June

PM Fico warned: Lay off the media