Archive of articles - March 2009
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NGOs publicly declare their support for candidate Radičová
Joint opposition presidential candidate Iveta Radičová is “standing by the people”, said representatives of more than two dozen non-governmental organizations which publicly declared their support for the candidate on March 30, the SITA newswire reported.
Preparations go smoothly for second presidential round
The second round of the presidential election will take place on April 4. Preparations for the election are being carried out with no significant problems that would require special measures, the TASR newswire reported the secretary of the Central Election Committee, Lívia Škultétyová, as saying.
British investment brings jobs to Veľký Meder
The British company RPC Bramlage plans to invest €1.255 million into production of plastic materials in Veľký Meder, a municipality in the Dunajská Streda district. The investment should create 88 job positions, the SITA newswire reported.
Opposition proposes closeout of National Property Fund
Members of the parliamentary opposition have submitted a proposal to the Slovak Parliament to abolish the National Property Fund (FNM), it was announced on March 30. The MPs stated in their proposal that after the FNM is done away with, the state would take over all properties that were under its control along with its obligations pertaining to legal relations including obligations ensuing from the Labour Code, reported the TASR newswire. The financial assets that would be transferred to the state plus money obtained from privatised entities and deposited in special accounts should not become part of the state budget, TASR wrote. The proposal will be discussed and voted during the nearest parliamentary session on April 15.
Rail company ŽSR says it is not to blame for Polomka crash
Based on its completed inquiries, the state operated rail company ŽSR on March 30 rejected any degree of blame for an accident that took place on February 21 in which 12 people aboard a bus were killed when the vehicle collided with a regional train on a rail crossing near Polomka in Banská Bystrica region, according to the TASR newswire.
Bank loans increased by 64 percent from January to February
Bank loans grew by 64 percent month-on-month in Slovakia in February, after a 50-percent drop was recorded in January, according to statistics from the Slovak Central Bank (NBS) released on March 30, the TASR newswire wrote. Loans to companies increased by 62 percent m-o-m to €757 million, out of which new operation and investment loans grew by 70 percent, while real-estate loans went up by 17 percent. Other types of loans recorded an increase of one-third m-o-m in February.
Coneco construction fair opens on Tuesday, March 31
The annual Coneco construction fair will take place between March 31 and April 4 for the 30th time at the Incheba exhibition grounds in Bratislava. This year’s fair will address such current challenges as the fallout from the global economic crisis and the most recent property market developments in Slovakia, the Incheba organisers said on March 30, as reported by the TASR newswire.
Summer flight schedule from Bratislava airport offers 32 destinations
M.R. Štefánik Airport in Bratislava (BTS) switched on Sunday, March 29, from its winter flight schedule to the summer flight schedule which the airlines will fly until October 24, the airport's spokesperson and PR manager Dana Madunická told the TASR newswire on Monday. There will be regular flight connections to 32 destinations from Slovakia’s largest airport for the summer flight season. Favourite charter flights to holiday destinations will be on the schedule this year and their number increased to 30.
Mečiar says fake leaflets on Radičová's behalf are provocation
The chairman of the HZDS party, Vladimír Mečiar, has called fake leaflets designed to appear to be promoting opposition presidential candidate Iveta Radičová as a provocation. The leaflets, which appeared on Thursday, March 26, night in several towns in southern Slovakia included a promise that Radicova will promote autonomy for ethnic Hungarians if they give her their votes in the second round, reported the TASR newswire. “It's a straightforward provocation before the election, but I don't know by whom and in whose favour, as it doesn’t only allow for attacks against Radicova, but may also be a clever manoeuvre by her to slip clear of suspicion. But it also may be an intelligence play,” said Mečiar to TASR.
HZDS asks its supporters to skip voting in the second round
The governing coalition HZDS party, at a meeting in Bardejovské Kupele on March 28, recommended that its supporters should not vote for either of the candidates in the second round of the presidential election on April 4, reported the TASR newswire. “The demanding criteria we set for our presidential candidate Professor Milan Melník in the first round have influenced us to not lower the bar in the second round,” said HZDS chairman Vladimír Mečiar after the session.
Economy Minister says re-purchase of Transpetrol has no impact on budget
The re-purchase of 49 percent of Transpetrol shares by the Slovak state will have no impact on the state budget deficit, said Economy Minister Ľubomír Jahnátek speaking on public broadcaster Slovak Television's (STV) programme ‘O päť minút dvanásť’ (Five Minutes to Twelve) on Sunday, March 29. Jahnátek said that the government will obtain the money for the purchase from the state’s financial assets.
Finance Ministry expects loss of 1 percent of GDP in taxes
The Finance Ministry expects that state income in taxes will decrease by approximately 1 percent of GDP, or €700 million, due to the impacts of the economic crisis in Slovakia, according to the ministry's most recent prognosis. Independent analysts told the TASR newswire that the loss will be even greater when additional expected economic developments are taken into account. The ministry said that losses in taxes will be caused mainly by slower economic development. The state budget was designed with planned economic growth of 5 percent, while present estimates are for 2 percent growth. The prognosis may still be adjusted, most likely downward. Other factors that will lower yields from taxes include legislation connected to anti-crisis measures. The ministry in its tax income prognosis expects the Slovak economy to grow by 2.4 percent in 2009, while Poštová Banka analyst Eva Sarázová estimates only 0.3 percent growth. In this case, the loss in taxes would be higher by an extra €300 - €350 million.
Transpetrol shares are back
ONE of the most discussed ownership stakes in the short but nevertheless rich history of privatization in Slovakia is heading back to Slovakia after seven years in foreign hands. Slovakia has bought back its 49-percent stake in major crude oil pipeline operator Transpetrol from Yukos International for $240 million.
Land alone won't make you a developer
THE DAYS when anyone who bought a piece of land could become a developer are gone for good: the greatest challenge for today’s developers is how to secure funds to finance their projects, says Ivan Valent, the chairman of the board of directors of major property developer HB Reavis Group. Valent does not think that the current global economic downturn has yet reached the bottom, but he is convinced that the fittest developers with the strongest projects will survive.The Slovak Spectator spoke to Valent about the specifics of the Slovak property market, the mood of developers, regional disparities and the main challenges that the market faces during the current global economic downturn.
Poetic anatomy of ageing
Exit GhostAuthor: Philip RothPublished by Vintage, 2008. HE SKILFULLY takes a scalpel and offers his reader a poetic anatomy of ageing. Yet, he goes much deeper than bodily failings like incontinence after prostate surgery, the demise of a once razor-sharp mind after removal of a brain tumour, or how people see their most precious memories falling apart just as dried garlands do under the weight of time: Philip Roth.
Banská Bystrica marks vernal equinox
AS PART of the 2009 International Year of Astronomy, the Central Slovak Museum held a Spring Equinox event in cooperation with the Banská Bystrica Observatory on March 20.
Disappointed? In whom?
KARL Marx knew that only poor, uneducated people make good communists, because only they are humiliated every day by economic inequities; only they have chains to lose.
Norway helps reveal Košice's torturous past
THE AMBASSADOR of the Kingdom of Norway in Slovakia, Brit Lovseth, visited historical reconstruction projects at the East Slovak Museum in Košice that are being primarily supported by funds from her country. Reconstruction of the Mikluš Prison and its adjacent executioner’s bastion and flat are receiving €427,000 in assistance from Norway, the SITA newswire reported.At a briefing, the ambassador assessed the progress of the reconstruction and said that the resources seem to have been used sensibly.
ASSOCIATIONS IN CONTSTRUCTION SECTOR
Association of Construction Entrepreneurs in SlovakiaPresident: Ján Majerskýwww.zsps.sk
Safer, but at what cost?
ANOTHER change has been applied to the second - or capitalisation - pension pillar, within which almost 1.5 million Slovaks save for their future retirement, completely changing the fee structure for the pension fund management companies and introducing a so-called guarantee fund for pension savers so that their accounts will not go below the principal sum they have invested.
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- Top 10 events in Bratislava for foreigners More articles ›
