Archive of articles - July 2010, page 13
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Indian cyclist stops in Slovakia
SOMEN Debnath is clearly a man who believes in long-range goals. He has a plan, a big plan. In fact, a 16-year plan.
Slovakia’s involvement in eurozone stabilisation plan remains uncertain
OUTGOING Prime Minister Robert Fico and his successor Iveta Radičová of the Slovak Democratic and Christian Union (SDKÚ) have been playing political football over Slovakia’s signature for the European Financial Stabilisation Facility (EFSF), the mammoth €750-billion European Union programme designed to stabilise eurozone finances.
St. Martin’s gets new pipe organ
On June 20, visitors had an opportunity to get a good look at the new organ in St. Martin’s Cathedral and to meet the man who made it, Gerald Woehl from Germany.
Good news for abandoned dogs
Nehovorme keby/Let us Not Say IF…, which aims at bringing help to ill-treated dogs, moved its exhibition from Bratislava to Košice on June 14. In the Optima shopping centre in Košice, visitors could view dog stories with both happy and less than happy endings. “The goal is to expose the arrogance and indifference of people in their relation to animals, to stress the importance of castration and sterilisation, and to explain the differences between breeders and mere “reproducers” of dogs,” Iveta Hualíková of the Civic Association Štyri labky/Four Paws told the TASR newswire.
Presiding judge dies in VUB burglary case
THE COURT trial in the case of the largest-ever bank burglary in Slovakia, in which six men are on trial for stealing millions of Slovak crowns from the Nitra branch of VUB Banka in western Slovakia in 1996, was not held as scheduled on June 29 at the Nitra Regional Court because the presiding judge, Miroslav Šupa, unexpectedly died, the SITA newswire reported. The court must now assign a new judge to the case.
Maluchs another victim of the financial crisis
During the weekend of June 25-27, a parade of “Maluch” owners from all over Europe shined up their hoods, lubricated their aging machines and gathered in Zvolen. The “Maluchs” also known as Fiat 126s, were manufactured in communist Poland and have always held a strange attraction for certain vintage car collectors. Event organizer Ľudevit Matuška of Zvolen initiated global gatherings of “Maluchs” in 2000. Matuška currently holds three certificates from the Guinness Book of Records for bringing together the largest number of roadworthy Fiat 126s in one place. During this June weekend he was going for his fourth record.
President dismisses heads of closed ministries
CABINET ministers responsible for the Environment Ministry and the Ministry of Construction and Regional Development are heading out the door as their ministries legally cease to exist as of July 1.
Profit in the Slovak banking sector grows
THE SLOVAK banking sector closed the first five months with a taxed profit of €191.7 million, a year-on-year increase of 17.6 percent, the SITA newswire reported on June 30, citing data from the National Bank of Slovakia. The banks’ net interest income grew 6.5 percent to €679.4 million and net income from commissions and fees went up by 7.7 percent to €178.8 million. The sector reported a loss of €7.9 million from foreign exchange operations, while it ended the same period of time last year with a profit of €32.9 million. Net formation of provisions and reserves increased 10.9 percent to €155.5 million. The balance sheet for the banking sector was 2.3 percent better than a year ago and stood at €54.294 billion.
Private equity firms show confidence
OPTIMISM continues to spread among private equity investors across central Europe, as they look to the future with greater confidence than at any time since early 2008. Deal levels remain below those of two or three years ago, however, and the deals are taking noticeably longer to conclude but private equity investors expect to continue pursuing new investment opportunities in the region. These are some conclusions from the Central Europe Private Equity Confidence Survey, which Deloitte presented in early June.
Countrywide Events
Western SLOVAKIA
New millionaires in Slovakia
IN SPITE of the economic crisis, the number of Slovak millionaires increased moderately last year. According to the 14th World Wealth Report 2010, published by companies Capgemini and Merrill Lynch, 770 Slovaks now show wealth that exceeds $1 million.
Slovak towns and regions face massive income shortfall
TOWNS and villages across Slovakia continue to face a financial crisis, with some unable to pay their bills, following a drastic fall in the income tax revenues which are their main source of income. Some municipalities are even toying with the idea of strikes, but the immediate solutions being contemplated are loans, spending cuts and layoffs.
Question marks hang over PPP projects
THE OUTGOING Robert Fico cabinet failed to wrap up all the necessary details to commence construction projects that are designed to complete the highway connecting Bratislava and Košice. The closing date for reaching a financing agreement for the biggest of three public-private partnership highway construction projects, the so-called first PPP package, was extended again from June 30 to August 30.
Bratislava airport handles all flights at new terminal
SINCE Monday, June 28, Bratislava Airport has been handling all regular and unscheduled flights at its new terminal. The gradual move from the old facility to the new one began on June 9 and lasted for 19 days, the SITA newswire wrote.
European survey finds about 11 percent of Slovak households face poverty
Around 11 percent of households in Slovakia, representing around 595,000 people, are threatened by poverty, according to a survey on incomes and living conditions in the European Union (EU SILC 2009) that was presented in Bratislava on July 1, the TASR newswire reported. “The border of poverty is set at €283 per person per month. Compared to 2008, the level of poverty grew slightly by 0.2 percent,” said Slovak Statistics Office head Ľudmila Benkovičová at a press conference. According to EU SILC 2009, people threatened by poverty are often families with three or more children (36 percent) or individuals aged over 65 (more than a quarter). The long-term unemployed form another large group, at 48.9 percent.
SDKÚ charges that Fico blocked EU financial stability plan
Outgoing Prime Minister Robert Fico was responsible for blocking the signing of the European Financial Stability Facility (EFSF) even though he had the power to get it through parliament, said the Slovak Democratic and Christian Union (SDKÚ), the strongest party in the forthcoming centre-right government coalition.
Police say tear gas did not kill man in southern Slovak village
Use of tear gas by police was not the cause of death of Štefan I., a 48-year old member of the Roma civic guard in the southern Slovak village of Tornaľa, said Banská Bystrica regional police director Marián Slobodník to the SITA newswire on July 1.
Fico counter charges that SDKÚ lies to its voters and is unfairly blaming Smer
A public statement from prime minister-designate Iveta Radičová from the Slovak Democratic and Christian Union (SDKÚ) about whether her finance minister will be prepared to sign the framework agreement is enough for resolving the issue said departing Prime Minister Robert Fico on July 1, as reported by the TASR newswire. Fico responded to Radičová's statements concerning the issue made earlier in the day. She claimed that Fico had blocked the signing of the EFSF even though he had the power to pass it. Fico accused the past opposition parties that are forming the new government of 'defrauding' its supporters in that they have abandoned many programme promises even before they take office just to be able to put together a programme acceptable to all four. He also told the TASR newswire that Radičová refuses to make a clear statement on the EU financial framework because the representatives from her party had labelled the EU framework a moral hazard and a bad solution earlier. Fico thinks that Radičová as the future prime minister should publicly announce if her party has changed its opinion on the safety net framework which would mean that Slovakia will not face any sanctions for blocking of this mechanism.
Poll finds that seven out of ten Slovaks oppose a loan for Greece
Seven out of ten Slovaks do not agree with Slovakia providing Greece with financial assistance and only less than a quarter think that Slovakia should help the indebted EU member, according to a poll carried out by TNS SK in May which was published on June 30, the TASR newswire reported. The survey involved a representative sample of 988 respondents over age 18. About 81 percent of them think that Slovakia's standard of living is not high enough to afford to loan money to Greece and 74.9 percent of them think that eurozone countries will only burden themselves with more debts in order to help Greece.
Debt in health-care sector drops to €200 million at the end of 2009
The overall debt in Slovakia's health-care sector dropped by nearly €80 million year-on-year to stand at €194 million at the end of 2009, according to a report released by the Health Ministry on June 30, the TASR newswire wrote. The largest share of debt belongs to state-run facilities at €115 million. The report also makes it clear that the total debt of state-owned health-care facilities fell by €80.1 million. Their unsettled commitments were made up mainly of debts to suppliers of medicines (56 percent of the amount). The ministry notes that unsettled claims are a long-term problem plaguing the sector.
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- Top 10 events in Bratislava for foreigners
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- The Kremlin’s security agency has a Russian contractor in Slovakia - no one has noticed
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- 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
- Fico praises China and Vietnam as models, says liberal democracy has failed
- News digest: Violent gang in Bratislava is under arrest
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- 3 free things to do in Bratislava in the next seven days
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- News digest: Prosecutor seeks jail for NBS Governor Kažimír as his political support wanes
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- Weekend: Celebration of fun comes to Malacky Photo
- News digest: Fico’s bloc wants to save money by restricting electoral access More articles ›
