Archive of articles - April 2009, page 2
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Young Bratislavans may earn €200 more than counterparts elsewhere
It is the higher salaries in Bratislava that causes Slovaks from across the country to move there, according to an extensive internet survey carried out by www.merces.sk among a sample of 120,000 Slovaks over a one-year period, reported the TASR newswire.
Parliament to vote soon on new Vice-Chair from HZDS
If HZDS party caucus announces its nominee for the post of Deputy Speaker of Parliament (Vice-Chair) to replace Viliam Veteška who died last week, a confidential vote to approve the nomination could take place at 17:00 on Tuesday, April 28 the TASR newswire was told by parliament's press department head Elena Valovičová. “The confidential vote in this case should also include the nomination of a new chairman for the parliamentary committee for education, youth, science and sport to replace Ferdinand Devínsky (SDKÚ-DS) who resigned last week,” said Valovičová.
Syrian President´s visit precedes economic forum in Bratislava
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his wife Asma al-Assad will arrive in Slovakia on Wednesday, April 29 for a two-day official visit, Elena Bianchi of the Presidential Office's press department told TASR on Monday. The Syrian head of state will be accompanied by representatives of several ministries and important Syrian businesses. The Syrian couple will be welcomed in the Presidential Palace in Bratislava by Slovak President Ivan Gašparovič and his wife Silvia. During the first day of their stay in Bratislava the Syrian President will meet Slovakia's Parliamentary Chairman Pavol Paška and Prime Minister Robert Fico and on the second day they will visit University Library, Bratislava Castle, and the Danubiana museum of modern art.
Slovaks prefer payment on delivery for internet purchases
Over three-quarters of Slovak shoppers on the mall.sk website prefer to make payments on delivery, according to a survey carried out by the online store in 2008. Up to 78 percent of the store's clients paid on delivery. Payment by instalments was chosen by 11 percent of customers while 7 percent paid when they picked up their goods in person. Electronic payment was chosen by only 4 percent of the customers, the TASR newswire wrote. Ladislav Csukas, the director of Internet Mall Slovakia, which runs mall.sk, said that the company expects more interest in payment by instalments due to the economic crisis. The company operates one of the largest internet stores in Central Europe. It also serves clients in the Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary and Germany. TASR
Joining eurozone made Slovakia a leader in Central Europe says Chamber of Commerce
By joining the eurozone, Slovakia became the leader of the Central European region, said the chairman of the Slovak Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SOPK), Peter Mihók, at the chamber’s annual assembly, reported the TASR newswire.
Slovak police catch the three-time bank robber
The man suspected of having tried to rob three Bratislava banks on Saturday, April 18, was caught by the Slovak police and he faces up to 15 years in prison. Bratislava Police Corps spokesman František Peczár informed the TASR newswire on April 25 that the suspected robber was a Bratislavan, Štefan P., 54.
Prime Minister says a 4-5% budget deficit would be acceptable to EU
A public finance budget deficit of 4-5 percent of GDP would be acceptable to the EU as a temporary exception to the rules of the Maastricht Stability and Growth Pact during the current crisis, Prime Minister Robert Fico said on state-owned Slovak Radio's (SRo) politics show ‘Sobotné Dialógy’ (Saturday Dialogues), adding that Slovakia's public finances should remain within this limit this year, reported the TASR newswire.
Education Minister says Hungarian sports fans are provoking Slovakia
Hungarian sports fans have come to Slovakia to provoke, said Education Minister Ján Mikolaj (a Slovak National Party/SNS nominee, whose remit also includes sport) on TV Markíza's politics show 'Na Telo' on Sunday April 26, adding that this provocation is mainly one-sided, reported the TASR newswire.
Countrywide Events
Western SLOVAKIA Bratislava SHOW: IT SEEMS that many would like to keep their childhood dreams. This is one possible explanation for why Disney’s shows are so popular in Slovakia that they usually sell out long before their arrival in the country. This time the famous characters, that have amused audiences in various forms for more than eighty years, present a series of performances taking place at Bratislava’s Incheba Expo Arena at Viedenská cesta 3-7 between April 30 and May 3, starting at various times. Mickey’s Magic Show features charming numbers by professional illusionists that will deceive even the most sceptical adults. Tickets cost between €23 and €35. The following week, the performances will be hosted by the city of Košice. For more information, see www.xl.sk.
EC: Slovak euro-switch was a success
THE EUROPEAN Commission has evaluated the euro changeover in Slovakia at the beginning of this year as smooth and successful in the eyes of its citizens. This stems from a communication on euro introduction which the European Commission adopted on April 20, the SITA newswire reported.
Tour-operators visit former royal towns
ALMOST 30 Hungarian journalists and tour-operators visited Spišská Nová Ves on April 19, where a four-day information trip connecting the former royal towns of eastern Slovakia began, the TASR newswire wrote.
Two days stuck in an elevator
ON APRIL 17, Slovak police freed a Czech national who had been stuck in a broken elevator in the town of Oščadnica in northern Slovakia for almost two days. The blocked elevator’s alarm signal was not working, and the complex where the man was staying was empty at the time, as it is mostly used for ski vacations in the winter season.
IT Valley links firms, schools and local governments
KOŠICE has become a home for a number of branches of top IT companies such as Microsoft, Siemens and Cisco Systems which have opened a number of workplaces in the local area, with further expansion planned. To tap into the local IT potential these companies and others have joined with local and regional governments and universities to create an association called IT Valley. Within the association’s program of activities the IT companies are participating in the development of study programmes at local schools, the Hospodárske Noviny (HN) financial daily wrote.
Slovaks’ purchasing power rose in 2008
PURCHASING power in Slovakia grew by 20 percent year-on-year to reach €6,120 per person in 2008, representing the largest increase among the Visegrad Four (V4) countries, according to a GfK survey carried out in 41 European countries, reported the TASR newswire.
Don’t switch off the light
A PROLONGED recession with a profound social impact in both eastern European and CIS countries is already in the cards. It is the consequence of a deep financial crisis, reinforced by a related roller-coaster ride of food prices and a gradually unfolding climate crisis. Early projections show a significant rise in unemployment and poverty. Behind these statistics lies growing human suffering. The crisis is increasing poverty in the region in numerous ways. Migrant labourers have to return to Moldova from their temporary work abroad, adding to the labour supply, increasing unemployment and reducing remittances. More marginalized Roma people are being pushed out of the formal economy throughout the region and deeper into poverty.
New books in English now available in Slovakia
Oxford Learners Pocket Dictionary. Fourth edition. Paperback: 524 pages. Publisher: Oxford University Press, 2008.
Jobless rate tops 10 %
SLOVAKIA, clutched in the fist of the economic crisis, has produced another gloomy statistic: the number of jobless at the end of March exceeded 10 percent, climbing to the highest level since mid-2006. And it is likely to climb even higher, suggest market watchers who attribute the growing army of unemployed to slumbering demand across the European market and nearly-paralysed export production in Slovakia. Labour market observers also say that the country’s problem with long-term unemployment is hardly new and that steps are needed to get the labour force into shape for the time when production lines are humming on again.
Tartar terror at Tornaľa
SEVERAL interesting details can be observed in this postcard from the 1950s depicting Tornaľa, an inconspicuous little town situated in the southern part of the Gemer region, on the left bank of the Slaná River. The most striking is the fact that although we are looking at the town centre there is only one parked car. Moreover, only a single light bulb is hanging over the street. This is how a majority of smaller Slovak towns looked in the middle of the 20th century.
Tibetan monks come to capital
THE SUCCESSFUL ongoing exhibition Shangri-la, India-Nepal-Tibet-Bhutan has several related events, one of which took place between April 16 and 23 in Bratislava.
Investors hungry for further reform
GERMAN, Austrian and French investors in Slovakia are somewhat sceptical about how 2009 will pan out and say they expect the year to present more hurdles to the running of their businesses. Despite the scepticism, 84 percent of investors say they would pick Slovakia again as the destination for their investments.
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