Archive of articles - May 2008, page 2
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Červenka back in custody pending trial
District Court Bratislava 3 sent a suspected bank robber back to pre-trial custody on May 27 following his recapture on Monday night. For more than four months he had been on the run after giving a police escort the slip at a Kramáre hospital in Bratislava. Roman Červenka, 26, is facing charges of armed robbery. It is believed that it is his likeness – although masked – that was caught on closed-circuit camera in early January robbing a bank in the Bratislava borough of Rača, where he lives. His time as a fugitive ended on Monday when he accidentally rammed his car into a parked car at an intersection near his home. He attempted to flee but was caught running across surrounding gardens.
Analysts: NBS won’t rush to get in line with ECB interest rates
The decision by the Slovak central bank (NBS) on May 27 to keep key interest rates unchanged was expected, analysts have told the TASR newswire. The analysts predict that the NBS won’t be in any hurry to align its interest rates with those of the European Central Bank (ECB). Slovakia's repo rate is 0.25 points higher than the eurozone's, and will have to fall in line by the time that Slovakia adopts the common European currency in January 2009. “We don't expect an alignment of the NBS rates with those in the eurozone until September or November,” TASR was told by ING Bank analyst Eduard Hagara. According to VÚB analyst Martin Lenko, recent comments made by NBS governor Ivan Šramko indicate that the central bank will wait for rate movements in the eurozone. If these are lowered in September or October, the NBS will follow suit. "However, if the ECB keeps the rates unchanged for the rest of the year, we assume that the alignment will take place only on January 1, 2009," added Lenko. The ECB won't change the key rates again this year, thinks Poštová Banka analyst Eva Sarazová. She agrees that NBS has no reason to hurry in lowering its rates, as the current rate is calming inflationary pressures. The NBS has kept key interest rates unchanged for more than a year now, with the last changes made in March and April 2007. Its decision on Tuesday leaves the two-week repo rate at 4.25 percent, while overnight rates stand at 5.75 percent for refinancing operations and at 2.25 for draining excess market liquidity. TASR
Record 77,000 visitors on Night of Museums and Galleries
The Night of Museums and Galleries, which was conducted nationwide for the first time this year, confirmed Slovaks´ interest in culture, the SITA newswire wrote. On Saturday, May 17, 85 museums and galleries opened their exhibitions to the public until late at night. The event, begun originally in France four years ago, lured people to 27 museums and galleries in Bratislava and 58 outside the capital. Fencers, falconers, castle ladies, dukes and duchesses - not to mention mummies and witches - prepared a range of events for adults and children, changing the face of the institutions.
Healthcare unions to take discrimination complaint to Brussels
Representatives of the Slovak Union of Workers in Healthcare and Social Services (SOZ) plan to attend a session of the Economic and Social Council in Brussels in order to inform its members about the differences in remuneration among Slovak healthcare workers, the SITA newswire reported. “Our task is to draw attention to discrimination against employees of healthcare facilities which are not administered by the state,” said SOZ President Anton Szálay. He did not rule out the prospect of protest rallies later being staged across Slovakia, but did not want to discuss whether the union was planning a strike.
Slovakia relies on electricity from nuclear facilities
Slovakia’s dominant power producer, Slovenské Elektrárne (SE), generated 6,072 gigawatthours (GWh) of electric energy in the first quarter of this year, the SITA newswire wrote. This is roughly the same amount that it produced during the same period a year ago. According to data published by SE, the biggest share of electricity in Slovakia, 71 percent, was generated by nuclear power plants. “Operation of nuclear facilities was very reliable,” the company said. Nuclear power stations were followed by hydro-electric power stations, whose share of total electricity generation in the same period was more than 17 percent. “Performance of hydropower plants was influenced by hydrological and climatic conditions,” stated the company. Thermal power plants in Vojany and Nováky contributed about 12 percent to total electricity generated.
Slovakia plans to deploy more soldiers in Afghanistan
There will soon be 246 soldiers from Slovakia serving in the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) mission in Afghanistan, the SITA newswire wrote. The members of the Slovak Armed Forces will work in a team of military engineers, in reconstruction teams in the country’s provinces, in operational and training teams, at the headquarters of the ISAF operation, in a national support unit, in guard units and in a team of healthcare workers, according to a document submitted for interdepartmental review by Defence Minister Jaroslav Baška on May 27. The document is subject to cabinet approval. At present, Slovakia has mandated up to 115 troops to serve in Afghanistan, but currently has only 69 soldiers there.
Travel agents predict euro adoption will end tourism price hikes in Slovakia
The introduction of the euro in Slovakia will put a halt to price increases in tourism, and Slovakia will become more attractive as a tourist destination for foreigners, the vice-president of the Association of Slovak Travel Agencies (SACKA), Robert Kohlman, said on May 26. Kohlman said operators of tourist facilities in Slovakia know that the adoption of the common European currency would end the Slovak crown’s strengthening against the euro. Recent exchange-rate movements have lead to price increases for clients without tourist facilities receiving any benefit. Visitors are facing constant cost increases, even during the course of their stays. According to Kohlman, the benefits brought by euro introduction will certainly outweigh the costs.
Slovakia and Armenia sign agreement to cooperate on justice
Slovakia’s justice minister, Štefan Harabin, and his Armenian counterpart, Gevorg Danielian, signed an agreement on partner co-operation between Slovakia and Armenia in Yerevan on May 26, the justice ministry press department told the TASR newswire. The agreement is intended to facilitate the mutual exchange of information on domestic legislation, on the structure and activities of legal bodies, and in the field of education and training of employees of the judiciary. Both ministers also agreed on organising common lectures, seminars, and training aimed at improving the professional qualifications of both countries' experts in the field of justice. The agreement also deals with the exchange of practical experience from implementing international multilateral and other agreements on legal assistance. The aim of Slovak consultation with Danielian is to foster more effective protection of the rights of Slovak and Armenian citizens, as well as problem-free contact between Slovak and Armenian courts. TASR
Government Office to hold Open day on Sunday, June 1
The public will have the opportunity to visit the Government Office on its 4th Open House Day on Sunday, June 1, between 10am and 3pm, the TASR newswire was told by the Government Office press department on May 26. Visitors will have the chance to view the Government chambers, along with the prime minister’s discussion rooms. They will also be provided with information on the common European currency, the euro, which is set to be introduced in Slovakia on January 1, 2009. The adjoining garden will be made available for an accompanying Children's Day, which will feature organised entertainment and competitive events, including dancing, theatre and painting. TASR
Sociologist: MPs’ proposal to merge election dates already doomed to failure
A proposal that some election dates in 2009 be merged, made by Slovak National Party (SNS) MP Anna Belousovová and Smer-SD MEP Monika Beňová, will fail, according to sociologist Pavel Haulík. “It would be convenient to synchronise the election cycles. But MPs won’t even consider it,” Haulik told the TASR newswire on May 26. In 2009, four or five elections are set to take place: one or – more likely – two rounds of the presidential election; elections to the European Parliament (EP); and two rounds of regional elections. This number of elections will greatly endanger the turnout, according to Haulík. Belousovová's proposal to merge the date of regional – VÚC - elections with those to the EP would shorten the term of regional executives and deputies by six months, and is therefore almost certain to generate resistance from the politicians affected. The Euro-elections will take place throughout the EU in June, but regional elections in Slovakia are traditionally held in late November and early December. 2009 will be the third set of VÚC elections since decentralisation in 2001. Haulík also expects a more moderate proposal submitted by Beňová, to merge the date of the Euro-election with the presidential election, to fail. The presidential election is set to take place in April and this would mean shifting it to June. Since prolonging the term of an incumbent president isn’t permitted, it would mean that Prime Minister Robert Fico would have to execute presidential powers for up to three weeks, something which the opposition would never allow, according to Haulík. TASR
NBS governor comments on strong crown
On May 26, the Pravda daily writes that the Slovak crown has risen to record highs recently. Ivan Šramko, the governor of the National Bank of Slovakia (NBS) says he does not see any reason for a special comment on the exchange rate. But he says that the Slovak central bank has been surprised by the rate at which the crown has appreciated recently. “We had not expected as notable a trend as this. The tempo of currency firming is surprising to us,” he said. The governor restated that very dynamic economic growth and the improving trade balance have created space for the crown’s appreciation. The strong crown slows price growth, which is positively perceived by citizens. On the other hand, it negatively influences the revenues of exporters, hampers economic growth and can have negative impacts on the revenues of the state budget. Šramko said negotiations on the switchover rate should take into consideration the overall impact of the switchover level on the economy, and not only its particular impact on citizens, exporters or importers. SITA
Average prices of diesel and petrol up as of May 20, LPG unchanged
The average consumer price of 95-octane petrol was Sk40.60 per litre as of May 20, 2008, according to the Slovak Statistics Office. A litre of LPG cost Sk22.07 in the same period, while drivers paid Sk43.87 per a litre on average for diesel. Compared with prices on May 9, only the price of LPG remained the same, the SITA newswire wrote. The price of 95-octane petrol rose Sk0.65 per litre, and diesel went up by Sk1.04 per litre. In January 1997, the price of 95-octane petrol was Sk22.39 per litre, and one litre of diesel was Sk20.89. Since then, prices have gradually increased, exceeding Sk30 per litre during the first months of 2000, and continued upwards towards Sk40 per litre, a level they exceeded in September 2005. As of September 4, 2006, one litre of 95-octane petrol cost Sk40.47 and 98-octane petrol was available for Sk43.09. Drivers paid Sk41.26 per litre of diesel and Sk21.69 for LPG. At the end of last year, a litre of 95-octane petrol sold for Sk38.90, a litre of diesel for Sk40.85 and a litre of LPG for Sk21.69. SITA
Labour Ministry planning centre to support social dialogue
The Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Family is preparing to establish a centre to facilitate so-called ‘social dialogue’ – dialogue between the government, employers and unions. The ministry’s state secretary, Emília Kršíková, announced the plan at a press conference on Monday, May 26, following a meeting of social partners at the Economic and Social Council of the Slovak Republic. The centre is intended to provide professional and administrative support for social dialogue at all levels, Kršíková explained. It will provide an expert basis for the Economic and Social Council, the SITA newswire wrote. The facility will also back the establishment of further social partnerships in additional sectors, since not all sectors have such representation. Kršíková added that the centre will also provide a professional basis for collective bargaining and will elaborate various analyses to back up bargaining among social partners.
Jureňa accuses Secret Service
On May 26 the financial daily Hospodárske Noviny reports comments critical of the Slovak Intelligence Service (SIS) by former Agriculture Minister Miroslav Jureňa, who is an MP for the junior coalition party, the Movement for a Democratic Slovakia (ĽS-HZDS). On its cover page, the daily quotes Jureňa as saying that a file, featuring compromising material, is established by the SIS on each new politician. He says that the largest coalition party, Smer-SD, “is guarding” its positions in the SIS and probably has reasons for doing so. Jureňa is critical of the fact that the SIS is supervised by a Smer-SD nominee, Jozef Magala, and hence controlled by a single political party. The ĽS-HZDS previously failed to get its nominee, Igor Urban, into the SIS because Magala would not agree to his nomination. ĽS-HZDS leader Vladimír Mečiar hit back by stating that Magala did not enjoy his trust. Jureňa's critical comments come after recent allegations that some parliamentary deputies were being bugged. SITA
Tax Freedom Day falls on May 22 this year
"TAX Freedom Day", a symbolic marker used to measure each country's overall tax burden, fell on May 22 in Slovakia this year, the F.A. Hayek Foundation and the Association of Slovak Taxpayers announced.
Slovakia improves its competitiveness
THE F.A. Hayek Foundation confirmed that Slovakia had moved up four places to stand 30th in a ranking of 55 countries evaluated according to the competitiveness of their economies.
Public sites swamped on Night of Museums
MORE than 60 museums and galleries across Slovakia made their exhibits available for a token entrance fee on May 17 to mark the International Day of Museums.
Slovenské Elektrárne uninterested in new thermal plants
SLOVAKIA'S dominant power producer Slovenské Elektrárne (SE) is not considering investing in a new thermal power plant.
Nearshoring - an opportunity for Slovakia
SLOVAKIA is a part of the European Union, and hence close to its most developed members both in terms of location and legislation. For this reason, it has a good opportunity to offer so-called nearshoring, the outsourcing of activities to a supplier in a geographically close locality, the Hospodárske Noviny daily has reported.
Roma ready for euro
THE SLOGAN "E koruna pes cerinel pro euro," which in the Roma language means 'the crown is changing to the euro,' should now be heard frequently in the remote settlements around Slovakia where about 160,000 Roma live.
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