Archive of articles - February 2010, page 7
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Acquiring and retaining key people is the main factor in a company´s success (Especially in tough economic times)
Developments over the last year showed that during this crisis the companies which were able to sustain their economic growth were those who had a smart policy in managing their human capital – those employers who view their human capital to be their most valuable asset.
Books in English now available in Slovakia
Coco Chanel. Axel Madsen. Bloomsbury, 2009.
Insurers hurt by lax payments and joblessness
THE FINANCIAL and economic crisis has also dipped into Slovakia’s health-care system. The increasing number of unemployed Slovaks, coupled with stagnating wage growth and worsening payment discipline, have directly influenced the resources available in the health-care sector. In response, both state-owned and two private health insurance companies have merged and all are adopting cost-saving measures and intensifying their efforts to collect premiums on a timely basis and in the correct amount.
Controversy still swirls around accreditation
RECENTLY Slovakia’s Accreditation Commission recommended that three more schools should retain their university status and thus the final number of schools to finish the comprehensive accreditation process with the university label will be higher than the first results indicated. However, not all schools are happy with their final scores – and one private university has already filed a lawsuit over what it has called improper interference by the Education Ministry in the accreditation process.
Slovak rectors address parliament in opposition to bill
Fourteen rectors of Slovakia's universities and higher education institutions have written an open letter to parliament entitled "The Dusk of Quality Higher Education" in which they appeal to MPs to reject the draft bill on higher education institutions drawn up by MP Mojmír Mamojka of the strongest coalition party Smer, the SITA newswire wrote.
Slovak opposition claims its right to nominate new ÚVO chairman
The leaders of Slovakia’s parliamentary opposition parties: Mikuláš Dzurinda(Slovak Democratic and Christian Union, SDKÚ), Pál Csáky (Hungarian Coalition Party, SMK) and Ján Figeľ (Christian Democratic Movement, KDH) issued a statement on February 18 requesting Prime Minister Robert Fico to appoint an opposition nominee to the position of chairman of the Public Procurement Office (ÚVO), the SITA newswire wrote.
Slovak police seize marijuana worth €10 million in central Slovakia
Marijuana worth €10 million was seized by police in a night raid inthe Banská Bystrica region on Wednesday, February 19, the SITA newswire reported.
Business Alliance says environment is at worst level since 2001
The quality of Slovakia's business environment notably declined again in the fourth quarter of last year, claims the Business Alliance of Slovakia (PAS) as its Business Environment Index (IPP) which the alliance calculates based on its own survey dropped for the first time ever below the reference level of 100 to 97.4 points, representing a quarterly deterioration of 3.91 points, the SITA newswire reported.
Russian wins gold for Slovakia
A RUSSIAN athlete who moved to Banská Bystrica after being dropped from her native country’s biathlon team due to her “lack of potential” has won Slovakia’s first ever gold medal at a Winter Olympics.
A record 111 nominees are competing for the 2009 Via Bona Slovakia Awards
In the 10th year of the Via Bona Slovakia Awards, the Pontis Foundation received a record of 113 nominations. The evaluation committee will review 111 nominations. Two nominations – projects of Západoslovenská Energetika, this year's general partner for the awards - were excluded from the competition.
Slovak unemployment rate grows to 12.89 percent in January
The registered unemployment rate in Slovakia increased 0.23 percentage points on a monthly basis at the end of January 2010 to 12.89 percent, according to data provided by the Central Office of Labour, Social Affairs and Family, the SITA newswire wrote.
Slovak Economy Ministry insists on regulating solar power plants
Projects of solar power plants in Slovakia will probably be more regulated than at present as the Economy Ministry does not want to give up its plan to revise the Energy Act, which is currently in parliament, the SITA newswired wrote.
Convention on Cluster Munitions becomes a binding document
On Tuesday, February 16, Burkina Faso and Moldova ratified the Convention on Cluster Munitions making the number of countries which have ratified the document thirty and making it a binding international law with effect as of August 1, 2010, the SITA newswire reported. The Slovak Republic has neither signed nor ratified the convention so far but the cabinet is expected to discuss the issue in March.
Slovaks lose their first ice hockey match at Winter Olympics
On February 17, the Slovak men’s ice hockey team lost their first match of the B group in the Olympic tournament in Vancouver to the Czech team 1:3. The packed stadium witnessed 60 minutes of splendid hockey with numerous chances on both sides, the SITA newswire wrote.
State health-insurer VšZP could be fined up to €330,000 over data leak
The Personal Data Protection Office has launched an inspection of the information system of state-run health-insurer Všeobecná Zdravotná Poisťovňa (VšZP) after VšZP published the personal identification numbers of some of its clients on the company's website, as reported by TASR. "If the inspection proves that the Personal Data Protection Act has been violated, VšZP could be fined between €1,650 and €330,000," said Personal Data Protection Office press secretary Libuša Stanová for the TASR on February 17. Private television channel TV JOJ reported on February 6 that VšZP had published the identification numbers of some 8,500 employers on its website. VZP spokesperson Petra Balážová claims that the whole incident was an unfortunate mistake. The health-insurer has apologised to its clients and said that it has remedied the situation. TASR
Kaliňák troubled by Public Procurement Office decision
Interior Minister Robert Kaliňák acknowledges the Public Procurement Office's authority to scrap its tender to buy 1,800 breathalysers on discriminatory terms but does not believe the ministry to be as much at fault as the authority claims, he told TASR. Pravda daily reported on Wednesday, February 17, that the ministry had chosen the most expensive bid at a price €1,000 more expensive than the second highest offer. As for the ministry's tender conditions that the seller be manufacturer, importer or an authorised dealer and have two regional servicing centres, Kaliňák said that the purchase is a highly serious matter. The devices purchased will serve as evidence before the courts when revoking a driving license, he explained, stating that the breathalysers are "not staplers". TASR
Kuzmina’s biathlon watched by an audience of 4,875
The 10 kilometre womens‘ biathlon on Tuesday, February 16, at the 21st Winter Olympics in Vancouver where Slovak contestant Anastasia Kuzmina won the silver medal was watched by 4,875 people live in the Olympic Park in Whistler, according to the SITA newswire.
Danube Wings cancelling routes to London and Dublin
The largest Slovak air carrier Danube Wings operated by the VIP Wings company will be cancelling their contract with Czech Airlines (ČSA) as of February 28. They are planning to rent the Boeing 737 airplane and its crew. According to ČTK newswire, routes from Poprad in eastern Slovakia to London and Dublin will also be cancelled. It was announced earlier that routes to manchester would also be scrapped. Danube Wings did not claim debt to be the reason for taking these steps, but has said it wants to focus on its holiday destinations. Negotiations with ČSA continue, as confirmed by the Czech air carrier to the ČTK. However, the marketing manager of Danube Wings claimed last week that the company had financial problems, as real sales were not covering costs. The company intends to continue domestic flights to Poprad and Košice as well as to Warsaw and Basel. The success of individual routes is crucial to the company who are also planning to launch eight holiday destination routes: Croatian Zadar, Split and Rijeka, Italian Reggio di Calabria, Catania, Crotone, Bologna and Milan. Tickets for these destinations are already on sale. ČTK
Serbia asks why alleged cocaine smuggler got Slovak citizenship
A Serbian Interior Ministry official has requested an explanation from its Slovak counterpart on what grounds Serbian Darko Saric, who is suspected of smuggling 2.7 tons of cocaine, acquired Slovak citizenship in 2006 as well as an ID and a passport, the SITA newswire reported.
Former Slovak Border Police chief in Sobrance arrested for bribery
Miroslav Uchnár, the former director of the Border Police in Sobrance of the Office of Border and Immigration Police was detained on February 15 by officers of the inspectorate of the Interior Ministry. Charges of bribery and abuse of public office were filed against the former director, the spokesman of the Interior Ministry Erik Tomáš told the SITA newswire.
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