Archive of articles - February 2009

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Applications for professional army drop by 50 percent in 2008

The number of applicants to join the professional army dropped last year by more than 50 percent compared to 2007, the Slovak Defence Ministry states in its Comprehensive Defence Evaluation for 2008 released on February 26.

Consumers association files lawsuit against mobile phone operators

The Slovak Consumers Association (ASSS) filed two lawsuits against mobile phone operators this week at the Regional Court in Stará Ľubovňa in the Prešov region, the president of ASSS, Bozena Stasenkova, told the TASR newswire on February 26. According to ASSS, the mobile phone operators are using inadequate terms in their contracts which allow credit purchased by the consumer to expire without any financial compensation.

SNS and ĽS-HZDS plan to take court action on textbooks

Slovak National Party vice-chair Anna Belousovová and ĽS-HZDS Chairman Vladimír Mečiar have agreed to postpone submitting a complaint to Slovakia’s Constitutional Court concerning the amendment to the Education Act for at least a month, SNS spokesperson Jana Benková told the TASR newswire on February 26.

Ministry comments submitted to procurement investigators

The Public Procurement Office (ÚVO) accepted the comments submitted by representatives of the Construction and Regional Development Ministry on February 25 concerning its controversial tender for information systems, ÚVO spokesperson Helena Fialová told the TASR newswire on February 26.

Slovakia to submit legal analysis of FPKK to Hungary

Talks between the Slovak parliament’s foreign affairs committee members and its Hungarian counterpart in Esztergom, Hungary, on February 25 focused on minorities and the institutionalisation of the Forum of MPs of the Carpathian Basin (FPKK) in the Hungarian Parliament.

Fuel prices in Slovakia highest in V4 plus Austria

The tax-inclusive price of diesel and petrol in Slovakia was higher in Slovakia than any of its neighbours in the Visegrad 4 group (Czech Republic, Hungary, and Poland), or Austria, during the past week.

Slovak presidential candidate meets Hungarian foreign minister

Slovak opposition MP and presidential candidate Iveta Radičová met Hungarian Foreign Minister Kinga Göncz in Budapest on February 25.

Pezinok dump approval imminent

A waste dump in Pezinok, the subject of a long-running dispute between locals and government authorities, is just a step from being granted construction approval.

Slovglass to re-launch production under new management on March 1

A newly-established glass manufacturing company named Slovglass Ltd (previously Slovglass Inc.) in Poltár in Banská Bystica region will resume production on March 1, with its new owners re-employing between 450 and 500 employees, the bankruptcy administrator’s advisor, Július Murín, told the TASR newswire on February 25. “As soon as all creditors had approved the sale of the company, we began the sale process,” said Murín. The agreements should be signed and the sale finalised by the end of February.

Slovak factories manufactured around 770,000 cars in 2008

A total of 770,000 cars were made in Slovakia in 2008. Production is expected to fall this year due to the global economic crisis, but it is estimated that production volumes will be restored to their former levels in 2010, said Milan Kempai from the Economy Ministry at the AutoSlovakia ‘09 conference in Bratislava on Wednesday, February 25, the TASR newswire reported.

Minister Mikolaj says history textbooks for ethnic minority to be changed

The history textbooks for ethnic minority grammar schools do not fulfil the recent requirements of education reform and therefore a tender for developing new ones will be held, Education Minister Ján Mikolaj from the Slovak National Party said after a Government session on February 25.

Volkswagen restarts assembly lines in Bratislava

Production at Volkswagen’s car plant in Bratislava, which had been halted since February 16, was restarted on Wednesday, February 25, the TASR newswire was told by the plant’s trade union leader, Zoroslav Smolinský.

Fico will head Slovak delegation to EC meeting on crisis

The current economic and financial crisis will be the main issue to be discussed at an informal lunch meeting of EU leaders on March 1 in Brussels.

State hospitals’ purchasing procedures criticised

An inspection of the Supreme Audit Office in eight state hospitals has shown that large state hospitals purchased expensive medical equipment and rented it to private companies without making any significant profit.

Compensation for victims of unlicensed deposit companies in doubt

The process of compensating clients of bankrupt unlicensed deposit companies, who suffered damages when a series of such companies collapsed in 2002, has reportedly encountered a serious problem.

Jobseekers to get free transport

The Banská Bystrica Region’s government is preparing a special measure to help people negatively affected by the economic crisis.

Private pensions firms react to union calls

Peter Socha, the head of the Association Pension Fund Management Companies (ADSS), said ADSS members are surprised by a statement on Tuesday, February 24, by the Trade Unions Confederation (KOZ), asking for a decrease in levies to the second – or capitalisation - pillar of the pension system from the current 9 percent to 4 percent.

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