Archive of articles - December 2009, page 10
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A hotel is a long-term investment
SLOVAKIA used to be limited in its range of both less and more luxurious hotels. That situation has changed with more four- and five-star hotels opening during the last few years while a number of other new hotels of various categories have just started welcoming guests or are preparing for their grand openings. The global economic downturn has put hotel managers under greater pressure to run their properties more effectively and to cut costs, but along with this they must keep services at the same or better levels to remain appealing to longstanding customers as well as new guests who have become much more price sensitive.
State Language Act guidelines finalised
THE MINISTRY of Culture has finished drafting its guidelines for implementation of the State Language Act and submitted the material for interdepartmental review, the SITA newswire reported.
Construction Ministry sites are priciest
THE CONSTRUCTION Ministry has come out ‘top’ in a chart of the most expensive websites for operational programmes co-financed from EU structural funds, according to a study published by the Conservative Institute, an NGO, on November 30.
Slovakia builds new power generation facilities
The closure of the second unit of the V1 nuclear power station in Jaslovské Bohunice at the end of 2008 was the most important event in the Slovakia’s energy sector of that year. By doing so Slovakia fulfilled commitments from its EU accession treaty by which it had promised to close down the first two units of the outdated Soviet-designed nuclear plant in Jaslovské Bohunice, known as the V1. The closure of the two units has increased pressure on the existing electricity generating facilities to satisfy the demand for power and has forced the country, after years of being self-sufficient in power production, to again import this important commodity. It is expected that Slovakia will depend on imports of electricity until the dominant power producer, Slovenské Elektrárne, places the first of the two new units of the Mochovce nuclear power plant into operation. This is scheduled for 2012.
The Glass Room
The Glass Room
Real estate market is not what it was
Things have changed indeed. Although many people may wish otherwise, the fact is that conditions in the real estate market in Slovakia have changed rapidly and the situation might not return anytime soon to those golden years between 2004 and 2006.
First strategic firm fingered for takeover
NOW Slovakia not only has legislation which allows the state to take over companies it deems ‘strategic’ but the government has designated the first ‘strategic’ company for acquisition following the law’s enactment on November 26.
Slovakia focuses on R&D for future investments
Research and development – combined with education and innovation – create a competitive package that enables enterprises to grow or remain stable in challenging economic times. Education, development of talents and human resources, along with a focus on a culture of enterprise based on knowledge and lifelong learning, are definitely priority approaches that can help enterprises to succeed in these demanding times.
Slovakia’s Šefčovič gets EC admin job
EUROPEAN Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič from Slovakia will be in charge of inter-institutional relations and administrative affairs. Though Slovakia’s had its eyes on the energy portfolio, politicians across the political spectrum agreed that Šefčovič, who will also be one of seven vice-presidents of the commission, will occupy an important post.
Countrywide Events
Western SLOVAKIA
Establishing a company in Slovakia
The current EU Commissioner for the internal market and services, Charlie McCreevy, said back in 2007 that founding a company should take no longer than one week in Europe. The reality of the Slovak legal environment is a little different and the process of establishing a company takes about one month, depending on the type of company, on the quality of the founding documents, and also sometimes on the mood of the court official at the Commercial Register.
Institutions involved in tourism in Slovakia
Ministry of Economy
Slovak 'Historic Hotels' club launched
MEMBERS of the Association of Historic Hotels of Slovakia signed their founding deed on November 25 in Bratislava. The association will operate within the international network called Historic Hotels of Europe, which clusters more than 600 unique hotels in 20 countries.
The Slovak tax system
The single most recognisable characteristic of the Slovak tax system is the flat 19 percent tax rate, applied to corporate as well as to personal income. This is also the standard rate for the value added tax charged on supplies of goods and services in Slovakia. The flat rate has certainly contributed to simplification of Slovakia’s tax system.
Trenčín diploma controversy grows
SEVERAL weeks after the Pravda daily broke a story about so-called express diplomas being awarded by a university in Trenčín, pressure has intensified on the school’s top management as more questions have surfaced about how diplomas have been awarded, and about tuition fees that were paid by students to a non-profit organisation.
How the V4 can cooperate to overcome energy challenges
The Visegrad group countries, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia, face a major challenge to energy security in electricity and natural gas markets. Although the current economic and financial turmoil has significantly decreased energy demand in the Central and Eastern European (CEE) region, analysts anticipate that demand for electricity and gas will recover over the medium term. Focusing on the region, three major challenges face the Visegrad Group (V4) countries, namely ensuring adequate supplies of electricity, an overdependence on Russian-based natural gas supply and low energy efficiency.
Pozemky
IF YOU want to understand how, even 20 years after its collapse, communism is still poisoning public life in Slovakia, just look at the latest land scandal.
Wild Poppies’ seek sponsors
THERE are song lyrics that say “money makes the world go round” and one could interpret this to mean that money can make good ideas materialise, grow, spread and do good. This is the best way to view the Wild Poppies (Divé maky) project, which has grown from very modest beginnings into a widespread NGO, one that supports talented Roma children who would otherwise not have much of a chance to break through barriers, study with professional artists and develop their talents to the best of their ability.
New industrial park to go up in Trnava
CONSTRUCTION work on an industrial and technological park were launched in Trnava on November 30. The municipality of Trnava received a subsidy for the project from the Slovak Agency for Development of Trade and Investments (SARIO) equalling 95 percent of eligible expenditures, which translates into nearly €9.59 million, the SITA newswire reported.
Seeing stars in the Slovak hotel sky
Hotels and other accommodation facilities in Slovakia place
- The law changed. Our family papers were ready. Now my kids are Slovak citizens
- Maria Theresa on the banks of Bratislava
- Slovakia loses another EV model to Spain as Stellantis chooses Zaragoza over Trnava
- Slovak female triathlete shatters barriers with historic win at Himalayan event
- The Kremlin’s security agency has a Russian contractor in Slovakia - no one has noticed
- No more photos or bank statements? Slovakia moves to ease residence process
- From eight to thousands of runners. How Košice marathon rose to prominence Photo
- Iconic Slovak barn still draws crowds. Without donors, it might have been lost Photo
- The law changed. Our family papers were ready. Now my kids are Slovak citizens
- Maria Theresa on the banks of Bratislava
- The Kremlin’s security agency has a Russian contractor in Slovakia - no one has noticed
- Slovak female triathlete shatters barriers with historic win at Himalayan event
- Slovakia loses another EV model to Spain as Stellantis chooses Zaragoza over Trnava
- From eight to thousands of runners. How Košice marathon rose to prominence Photo
- No more photos or bank statements? Slovakia moves to ease residence process
- Iconic Slovak barn still draws crowds. Without donors, it might have been lost Photo
- The law changed. Our family papers were ready. Now my kids are Slovak citizens
- Maria Theresa on the banks of Bratislava
- No more photos or bank statements? Slovakia moves to ease residence process
- Top 10 events in Bratislava for foreigners
- Weekend: Celebration of fun comes to Malacky Photo
- 3 free things to do in Bratislava in the next seven days
- Digital Jarvis is real now. He is coming for your to-do list
- The Kremlin’s security agency has a Russian contractor in Slovakia - no one has noticed
- The law changed. Our family papers were ready. Now my kids are Slovak citizens
- Maria Theresa on the banks of Bratislava
- No more photos or bank statements? Slovakia moves to ease residence process
- The Kremlin’s security agency has a Russian contractor in Slovakia - no one has noticed
- A mayor resigns over €2.7 million fraud scandal at town hall
- Fico praises China and Vietnam as models, says liberal democracy has failed
- News digest: Violent gang in Bratislava is under arrest
- He designed Gatwick. But this is his masterpiece
- Liberal MP's boxing challenge backfires as far-right MEP seizes the moment
- The law changed. Our family papers were ready. Now my kids are Slovak citizens
- News digest: Prosecutor seeks jail for NBS Governor Kažimír as his political support wanes
- Slovakia loses another EV model to Spain as Stellantis chooses Zaragoza over Trnava
- Slovak female triathlete shatters barriers with historic win at Himalayan event
- Weekend: Celebration of fun comes to Malacky Photo
- News digest: Fico’s bloc wants to save money by restricting electoral access
- Slovakia plans to restrict access to new medicines amid funding shortfall More articles ›
