Archive of articles - March 2009, page 16

SPP prepared to ensure normal gas supplies for rest of winter

Slovak gas utility Slovenský Plynárenský Priemysel (SPP) is well-prepared to provide normal gas supplies to all consumers in Slovakia, including industrial ones, without any restrictions until the end of the winter period if gas supplies from Ukraine are again halted, according to SPP spokesperson Martina Greňová.

Russians consider Slovakia as site for nuclear fuel plant

Russian state corporation Tvel, one of the world's largest producers of nuclear fuel, is interested in building a nuclear fuel production plant in Slovakia, reports the Hospodárske Noviny (HN)economic daily on March 3. The plant would be involved in producing uranium-based fuel cells for nuclear power stations, according information supplied by the company's communication department to HN.

Former Justice Minister proposes amendment to Criminal Code

A first-degree guilty verdict is sufficient reason for the continuation of custody of an individual until the definitive verdict of the court is reached, according to an amendment to the criminal procedure code that opposition KDH vice-chairman Daniel Lipšic (and former justice minister) submitted to Parliament on March 2, the TASR newswire wrote.

Lajčák attending UN Human Rights Council session in Geneva

Slovak Foreign Affairs Minister Miroslav Lajčák took part in the 10th United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council session in Geneva on Monday, March 2, the Foreign Affairs Ministry told the TASR newswire on the same day. Lajčák stressed the importance of the Council's role as a supporter of mutual respect and the protection of human rights and freedoms. He also was meeting with the personal representative of the UN Secretary-General to the Conference on Disarmament, Sergei Ordzhonikidze; the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navanethem Pillay; the Secretary-General of the UN Conference on Trade and Development, Supachai Panitchpakdi; and the Executive Secretary of the UN Economic Commission for Europe (ECE), Ján Kubiš. The focus of the talks will be co-operation between Slovakia and international organisations with special emphasis on measures to tackle the current global economic crisis.

Second pillar pension funds may help finance highway construction

A key agreement between Prime Minister Robert Fico and private pension fund management companies is in the pipeline, the daily Sme wrote on Tuesday, March 3. The daily said that Fico appealed to the pension fund management companies on Saturday, February 28, asking them to suggest how they want to help the Slovak economy in the time of economic crisis.

Prices of selected goods down 0.2 percent in mid-February

The prices of selected consumer goods and services fell by 0.2 percent between February 11 and 20, the Slovak Statistics Office announced on March 2. This was mainly due to the prices of milk, cheese and egg products falling by 2.3 percent, while those of coffee, tea and cocoa products fell by 0.9 percent. Conversely, fruit and fuel prices went up by 1.6 and 0.1 percent, respectively. The Statistics Office is conducting consumer price surveys of 196 frequently-purchased goods and services every ten days between August 1, 2008 and June 30, 2009, the TASR newswire wrote with the aim to monitor price developments related to adoption of the euro. TASR

UNDP representative says Bratislava regional centre is very vibrant

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Regional Centre for Europe and the CIS in Bratislava is very vibrant, Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi, a leading representative of the UNDP Bureau for Development Policy, told the TASR newswire in an interview on March 1.

Kia Slovakia restores two-shift production on Monday

Kia Motors Slovakia resumed its normal two-shift operation on Monday, March 2, at its Teplička nad Vahom production facility in the Žilina region, company spokesman Dušan Dvořák told the TASR newswire on that same day.

State budget posts deficit of €185 million at end of February

Slovakia's state budget posted a deficit of €185 million at the end of February 2009, the Finance Ministry said on March 2. The budget posted a surplus of €52 million at the same time last year, the TASR newswire wrote. Budget revenues stood at €1.411 billion or 10.76 percent of the planned amount for the whole year. Expenditures reached €1.596 billion or 11.30 percent of the sum projected for the whole of 2009. In 2008, the state budget posted a full-year deficit of €704.18 million (Sk21.214 billion), or €357.4 million less than planned. State budget revenues were €11.35 billion (Sk342.003 billion), accounting for 98.3 percent of the planned total, while expenditures reached Sk12.06 billion (Sk363.217 billion), or 95.5 percent of the figure that had been projected for 2008. The budget deficit for the whole of 2009 is projected to reach €1.009 billion. TASR

Government working on bill to change fees of pension fund companies

Labour, Social Affairs and the Family Ministry State Secretary and ĽS-HZDS vice-chair Peter Sika told opposition SMK party MP Klára Sarkozy during a debate on public broadcaster Slovak Television’s political show ‘5 Minutes to 12’ on Sunday, March 1, that the governing Coalition was working on a bill to tie fees charged by pension fund companies to the yields that they produce. “If a pension-management company yields a profit for a saver it takes a fee from the yield, but if it damages assets it shouldn't be entitled to any fee,” said Sika, adding that the bill will also introduce other changes to the pension system. Sarkozy said that she didn't oppose cuts in fees, but added that these shouldn't be introduced before being properly discussed. She warned against changes in the pension system, as savers signed up to various programs under certain conditions and could appeal to the Constitutional Court if these are not observed, the TASR wrote.

Roma agree to set up new political party

A group of Roma dissatisfied with the current status of their ethnic minority have agreed to set up a new political party called the Roma Coalition Party, the group's leader Gejza Adam said on Saturday, February 28. The 10,000 signatures required by law to register a political party are already being collected. Calling itself a preparatory committee, the group claims that all government proxies for Roma issues to date including the incumbent Anina Botošová have been inefficient in handling issues such as housing and education, the TASR newswire wrote. Adam also voiced concern at the number of Roma settlements, which instead of falling, has soared from 632 to 1,035 over the past two decades. TASR

Nemcsics launches new liberal party called Liga

Robert Nemcsics, an economy minister in Mikuláš Dzurinda's 2002-06 government, told reporters on Saturday that he has launched a new liberal party called 'Liga' (League). Representatives of the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party, which Liga aspires to join, were among those present at the founding congress on February 28, said Nemcsics, who was elected chairman of the party. Liga, which was registered at the interior ministry in mid-December, is based on the liberal tenets of the now-defunct New Citizen's Alliance (ANO), the TASR newswire wrote. These include a revision of election-related legislation, the strict separation of church and state, and a 10 percent cut in public spending.

Fico says EU Summit was good preparation for upcoming European Council session

The extraordinary informal summit of the EU that took place in Brussels on Sunday, March 1, was good preparation for the upcoming session of the European Council aimed at tackling the global economic crisis, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico said following the summit.

Countrywide Events

Western SLOVAKIABratislavaDANCE:KATHAK is one of the eight forms of North Indian classical dance. Its origins go back to the nomadic bards of ancient northern India, known as Kathaks (story tellers), who specialised mostly in recounting mythological and moral tales from the scriptures and embellished their recitals with dance gestures and facial expressions. On March 2, at 19:00, Kathak will be performed at Dom kultúry Dúbravka in Bratislava by Dhwani, a troupe led by Vaswate Misra. Apart from festivals in India, Dhwani has performed at many international events in Europe, the USA, South America, Japan and South Africa. Dhwani’s recognition has also come from its empanelment by the International Council for Dance, CID–UNESCO.

Government helps indebted rail firm

THE STATE-OWNED railway freight service Cargo Slovakia is drowning in debts. With the company losing many orders due to the economic downturn, its income in the red again, and its rising debt level pointing toward possible bankruptcy, the government has decided to provide financial help of about €133 million, the Sme daily reported.

Professionals in tax and audit

Would tax cuts cure crisis?

THE SLOVAK government has adopted several packages of measures to help Slovak businesses and workers keep afloat. These include tax amendments helping low-income employees, self-employed entrepreneurs as well as larger companies to sail more smoothly through the global economic downturn. The business sector has welcomed the measures, but there are also calls for the government to do more.

Post-occupation emigrants tell their stories

WHEN Soviet tanks were crossing the Czechoslovak border four decades ago, nobody could imagine how far-reaching the effects of this quick dissipation of the hopes for Alexander Dubček’s “socialism with a human face” would be.

Army of jobless swells

MANY had hoped that mass layoffs were a thing of the mid-1990s, when Slovakia’s formerly centralised economy underwent painful restructuring. But the current global economic crisis has brought them back in full force. From last October to February 15, employers in Slovakia reported 156 mass layoffs to labour offices, which could result in the loss of 15,300 jobs in forthcoming months, according to the country’s labour authority.