Archive of articles - March 2008, page 7
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Essay Competition: Lisbon Treaty
THE SLOVAK Ministry of Foreign Affairs invites all secondary-school and university students to take part in an essay competition about the Lisbon Treaty.
ČEZ sells asset to Slovak machinery plant
ČEZ has sold its subsidiary, Energetické Opravny, to power engineering equipment producer Slovenské Energetické Strojárne (SES) Tlmače.
Thirteen EU countries had cheaper petrol than Slovakia
Motor fuel prices in most European Union (EU) countries continued to increase last week and Slovakia was no exception. According to Natankuj.sk, Slovakia ranked fourteenth on the petrol price chart and moved up one place, to twentieth, on the diesel chart.
Tomanová scraps controversial cleaning tender
On March 20, the Pravda daily wrote that Labour Minister Viera Tomanová has scrapped a controversial cleaning tender. The ministry contends the tender did not violate the law, but did deny bidders the chance to react and register appropriately. However, experts told the daily that the tender had either been insufficiently prepared or tailor-made for a company chosen in advance.
Babcoke to head USSK
On March 20, the Hospodárske Noviny daily reported that the biggest private employer in Slovakia has a new president.
State budget spending to rise four pct next year
The Finance Ministry released a preliminary projection to increase state budget spending next year by 3.7 percent y/y to Sk394.39 billion, the SITA newswire wrote.
Bratislava to host third annual marathon
Bratislava's third annual marathon will see a record number of runners setting off from Hviezdoslavovo Square on March 30, the organisers have announced on the www.bratislavamarathon.sk website.
Government backs large-scale tourism project in eastern region
The government on March 19 pledged support for the Sk4 billion (€122.77 million) amusement park project being developed under the title Vtáčie Údolie (Bird Valley) near Humenné, in the Prešov Region.
Kusý: Dissolution of Bratislava SDKÚ branches desperate
The SDKÚ executive committee on March 19 decided to dissolve all 32 local unions of the party in the Bratislava Region, the TASR newswire wrote.
President Gašparovič receives new archbishop
On March 19, President Gašparovič received Bratislava’s new metropolitan archbishop, Stanislav Zvolenský, and Žilina’s new diocesan bishop, Tomáš Galis, the SITA newswire wrote. The president congratulated them on receiving their posts. At the meeting, they talked about the role of the Catholic Church and mutual help between the state and the Church, as well as the role of the Church in relation to the morality of citizens. The president said that the development of new dioceses was welcomed, as this enabled better cooperation between bishops and the Church’s members.
KDH still wavering on choice of presidential candidate
Iveta Radičová may yet fail to win joint opposition support to become its candidate in the presidential race next year, the SITA newswire wrote. The SDKÚ-DS and the Christian Democrats (KDH) failed on March 19 to agree on the conditions under which the KDH would be willing to support the SDKÚ-DS deputy chairwoman in the presidential race. SDKÚ-DS Chairman Mikuláš Dzurinda said the solution now mostly down to Radičová, adding it is more about her personal attitudes rather than her political views.
SARIO to back four new industrial park projects
The Slovak Trade and Investment Development Agency (SARIO) is to sign deals to provide subsidies for construction of industrial parks and reconstruction of factories with four applicants in the coming weeks. SARIO spokeswoman Jana Murínová informed the SITA newswire on March 19 that the four successful applicants should receive subsidies totalling more than Sk170 million. However, SARIO gave no more details concerning the specific localities for now.
Opposition wants deputy minister sacked, more changes to press bill
Leaders of three parliamentary opposition parties met for political consultations on March 19 and issued a call for Prime Minister Robert Fico to take action and dismiss Martin Glváč from the post of State Secretary at the Ministry of Construction and Regional Development. The opposition voiced this demand in relation to the case of transferred land plots in Čierna Voda, near Bratislava, dating from 2004, the SITA newswire wrote. The chairman of the ethnic Hungarian party, SMK, Pál Csáky stressed at a press conference following the meeting that they intended to table a report on the activities of the Slovak Land Fund for discussion at the next parliamentary session.
Foreign Ministry: Signs good on visas to US
Slovakia has fulfilled another requirement for introducing visa-free regime with the USA, as the number of rejected applications for visa has now dropped under the required 10 percent, the private TV channel Markíza reported in its main news on March 18. Last year, the rejected applications submitted by Slovaks were at 12 percent.
Lack of qualified labour is a threat
A shortage of qualified workers will be the main problem vis-á-vis the Slovak labour market in the future, analysts warned on March 18. The tension on Slovakia's labour market could be eased if people return from working abroad, the TASR newswire wrote.
Protests in front of Chinese Embassy in Bratislava
Some 50 people protested in front of the Chinese Embassy on Údolná Street in Bratislava on March 18 against China’s military action against demonstrators in Tibet, the TASR newswire wrote.
HZDS newspaper ad targets party defector
A junior member of the ruling coalition, the ĽS-HZDS party, has paid for a newspaper advertisement, published in the Tuesday, March 18, issue of the tabloid Nový Čas, addressed to its former senior official Tibor Mikuš. The party opted for this public method to try and force Mikuš to give up his parliamentary mandate, the SITA newswire wrote. The advertisment included the alleged wording of a solemn oath by Mikuš, in which he pledged not to quit the party and its parliamentary caucus. In the event that this should happen, the oath pledged Mikuš in writing to return his deputy’s mandate to the party.
Over 90 percent of Slovak businesses use mobile phones
Nearly 93 percent of all firms use mobile phones, according to the results of a telecommunications market survey. “T-Audit”, organized by the TNS Aisa Slovakia agency, which collected data on the corporate market segment last August, found that 62 percent of all SIM cards registered to businesses belong to Orange Slovensko, 36 percent to T-Mobile Slovensko, while two percent of all corporate clients use Telefonica O2 Slovakia SIM cards. Sixteen percent of enterprises used services from all three mobile operators. The 2007 survey covered 893 enterprises, the SITA newswire wrote.
Seven Slovak wines win prizes in Paris
On March 18, the daily Pravda reported that seven among the fourteen wines from Slovakia that took part in the prestigious international exhibition Vinalies Internationales in Paris were awarded prizes. Three received gold and four silver medals; all will be included in the yearbook of the best 1000 wines of the world. SITA
Jobless rate in Slovakia down to 7.84 percent in February
The registered unemployment rate in Slovakia reached 7.84 percent at the end of February, a decrease of 0.22 percentage points from late January, the SITA newswire wrote. Compared with February 2007, the rate was down 1.36 percentage points, the National Labour, Social Affairs and Family Office announced on March 18. The number of job-seekers able to take up immediate employment was 204,574 at the end of February. This was 5,727 fewer people than last month. Compared with February 2007, the figure is down by 34,596 people. Labour offices reported a total of 237,017 job-seekers at the end of February, down by 5,400 people from the previous month and 36,498 people from February 2007. The unemployment rate calculated using the number of all job-seekers was 9.09 percent at the end of February. This is a 0.2 percentage-point decrease from the previous month and a 1.43 percentage-point drop year-on-year. SITA
- The law changed. Our family papers were ready. Now my kids are Slovak citizens
- Slovakia loses another EV model to Spain as Stellantis chooses Zaragoza over Trnava
- Weekend: Celebration of fun comes to Malacky Photo
- Slovak female triathlete shatters barriers with historic win at Himalayan event
- Top 10 events in Bratislava for foreigners
- Convicted of multiple murders, Slovakia’s mafia boss seeks release from prison
- News digest: Prosecutor seeks jail for NBS Governor Kažimír as his political support wanes
- No more photos or bank statements? Slovakia moves to ease residence process
- Top 10 events in Bratislava for foreigners
- No more photos or bank statements? Slovakia moves to ease residence process
- Slovakia loses another EV model to Spain as Stellantis chooses Zaragoza over Trnava
- Slovak female triathlete shatters barriers with historic win at Himalayan event
- Weekend: Celebration of fun comes to Malacky Photo
- Convicted of multiple murders, Slovakia’s mafia boss seeks release from prison
- News digest: Prosecutor seeks jail for NBS Governor Kažimír as his political support wanes
- The law changed. Our family papers were ready. Now my kids are Slovak citizens
- Maria Theresa on the banks of Bratislava
- No more photos or bank statements? Slovakia moves to ease residence process
- Weekend: Celebration of fun comes to Malacky Photo
- 3 free things to do in Bratislava in the next seven days
- Top 10 events in Bratislava for foreigners
- Digital Jarvis is real now. He is coming for your to-do list
- Convicted of multiple murders, Slovakia’s mafia boss seeks release from prison
- The disinformation scene has become a tool of media capture
- Maria Theresa on the banks of Bratislava
- No more photos or bank statements? Slovakia moves to ease residence process
- A mayor resigns over €2.7 million fraud scandal at town hall
- He designed Gatwick. But this is his masterpiece
- Fico praises China and Vietnam as models, says liberal democracy has failed
- News digest: Violent gang in Bratislava is under arrest
- The Kremlin’s security agency has a Russian contractor in Slovakia - no one has noticed
- Weekend: Celebration of fun comes to Malacky Photo
- The law changed. Our family papers were ready. Now my kids are Slovak citizens
- News digest: Prosecutor seeks jail for NBS Governor Kažimír as his political support wanes
- Slovakia loses another EV model to Spain as Stellantis chooses Zaragoza over Trnava
- Slovak female triathlete shatters barriers with historic win at Himalayan event
- Weekend: Celebration of fun comes to Malacky Photo
- News digest: Fico’s bloc wants to save money by restricting electoral access
- Slovakia plans to restrict access to new medicines amid funding shortfall
- No more photos or bank statements? Slovakia moves to ease residence process More articles ›
