Archive of articles - March 2009, page 15
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Economy ministry says public banks to be strengthened
The Slovak economy is the best off in terms of economic growth among central European countries, said Vojtech Ferencz from the Economy Ministry on Thursday, March 5. Ferencz was speaking at a meeting of the Crisis Monitoring committee which he chairs and the TASR newswire was informed about the outcome of the meeting by Darius Bosjak from the ministry’s press department. “We concluded that private banks in Slovakia drain financial means from the market, restrict business development, and therefore the Monitoring Committee will request the further strengthening of Eximbank and the Slovak Guarantee and Development Bank on the market,” said Ferencz.
Official presidential campaigns start today
Presidential candidates are officially allowed to launch their campaigns on Friday, March 6, the TASR newswire wrote. The campaigning period will last for 13 days and end 48 hours before the start of the election itself on Saturday March 21. The candidates can spend a maximum of €132,775 on their campaigns and each of them should have the same access to the media. During the 48-hour moratorium before the elections, no information will be allowed to be presented on radio, television or in the press in written, audio, visual or audio-visual form, if it would be to the advantage or disadvantage of the candidates.
Presidential Election Commission holds last session prior to vote
Preparations for Slovakia's presidential election on March 21 are proceeding smoothly, according to statements made by the Central Election Commission at what its chief Dusan Dugacek said could be its final meeting prior to the vote, the TASR newswire reported. Dugáček doesn't expect any disruptions ahead of the vote.
Prognosis for slow GDP growth in first half of 2009
According to a prognosis published by the Slovak Statistics Office on Thursday, March 5, the country’s GDP will grow by only 0.8 percent in the first half of 2009. At the same time, the Statistics Office’s Infostat research unit made an even more pessimistic estimate - expecting GDP to contract by 1.3 percent in this same time period, the TASR newswire wrote.
January inflation rate revised downward to 3.4 percent
The growth of consumer prices in Slovakia in January was less than the Statistics Office had originally estimated. On Thursday, March 5, the office reported that they had reduced the consumer price index for January 2009 to 3.4 percent y-o-y, 0.3 percentage points less than their previous estimate. The month-on-month increase in consumer prices was also revised down from 0.7 percent to 0.4 percent, the SITA newswire wrote.
Pension fund fees to be split into fixed and variable parts
Beginning next year the fees charged by private pension fund management companies (DSSs) will consist of two parts - one fixed and the other variable, according to an amendment to the Pension System Act that was approved by the government on Wednesday, March 4 the TASR newswire wrote.
Scrap value of old cars could be subsidised by government
Another proposed cabinet measure, this time trying to support new car sales in Slovakia, hit the headlines of Slovak media. An owner of car that has been in service for more than ten years could see its scrapping value go up by €2,000 as early as Monday, March 9, reported the Sme daily.
4th quarter real GDP growth falls to 2.5 percent
The growth rate of Slovak economy slowed further in the fourth quarter of last year. The Statistics Office reported that Slovakia's real GDP grew by 2.5 percent y-o-y, a reduction of 0.2 percentage points from its flash estimate made in mid-February. The growth in real GDP for all of 2008 was 6.4 percent with total GDP reaching €67.33 billion. Economic growth had been 6.6 percent in the third quarter, the SITA newswire wrote.
State to give rail companies €235.9 million
The state will help rail companies Cargo Slovakia (ŽSSK Cargo) and Slovak Railways (ŽSR) to overcome financial problems connected to the impact of the global economic crisis by giving ŽSSK Cargo €166 million and ZSR €69.9 million, the Government decided on March 4.
Government approves five-year aid plan
Slovakia will step up its development aid to poorer countries, according to the country’s new official strategy for development aid for 2009-13, which was approved by the government on Wednesday, March 4.
Extraordinary parliamentary session on crisis to be held on March 6
An extraordinary parliamentary session proposed by the opposition will be held on Friday, March 6, from 11:00, the office of Parliamentary Chairman Pavol Paška announced on Wednesday.
Lajčák to attend informal meeting of NATO ministers on Thursday
Slovak Foreign Affairs Minister Miroslav Lajčák is due to attend an informal meeting of NATO foreign ministers to be held in Brussels on Thursday, March 5, it was announced on Wednesday.
Discussion about accreditation should not take place during current problems
The lack of sufficient professors to guarantee the accreditation of study programmes at Comenius University has given rise to questions about the future of the accreditation system in Slovakia. The Slovak Spectator spoke about these issues with Renáta Králiková, a partner and research fellow of the Slovak Governance Institute, an independent non-governmental organisation which focuses on good governance and public policy.
Construction sector expects 10 % production decrease
PRODUCTION by the construction sector could fall by 10 percent this year but even if this expectation is fulfilled, it will not be a disaster and the current structure of the sector could be maintained, said the president of the Slovak Association of Construction Entrepreneurs (ZSPS), Ján Majerský. The negative outlook for 2009 follows an extraordinarily good year in 2008.
Court rejects Šesták claim that he was not an ŠtB agent
A COURT has rejected claims by former state secretary Jozef Šesták that he did not collaborate with the communist-era secret police (ŠtB). The ruling in the case Šesták vs. the Nation’s Memory Institute (ÚPN) was made by Judge Zlata Mrázková of Bratislava District II Court in December 2008, the Sme daily wrote. The files of the regional counterintellingence service claim that he worked as an agent, but the court accepted evidence provided by ŠtB agents suggesting that Šesták had never been an agent. However, the court did not clear Šesták of collaboration with the intelligence service (for which he reportedly worked in the 1970s as a diplomat at the embassy in Washington), as well as the military counterintelligence service, Sme reported.
Slota-linked law firm wins another public contract
Law firm Avocat, s.r.o., which reportedly has close links to the leader Slovak National Party (SNS) Ján Slota, has won another public contract, according to the Nový Čas daily published on March 4.
Poll shows Smer ahead in February
The results of a recent opinion poll suggest that Smer, the largest of the governing coalition parties, would have won the most seats in parliament had an election been held in February.
KPPC plans €500m power plant in Košice
Šaca, a district of Košice, is the planned location for a co-generation steam-gas cycle plant worth approximately €500 million.
KDS MPs propose letting parents vote on behalf of children
The four Conservative Democrats of Slovakia (KDS) MPs Vladimír Palko, František Mikloško, Pavol Minárik and Rudolf Bauer on Tuesday, March 3, submitted a proposal to change the constitution to allow parents to vote on behalf of their children, if those children are under the age of 18.
Private pension firms set out conditions for PPP investments
Private pension-savings companies (DSS) are rejecting claims that they have been negotiating with the government about financing PPP projects in exchange for a reduction in the state’s intervention in the private second pillar of the pension system, their association, the ADSS, announced on March 3.
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