Archive of articles - July 2010, page 5
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Slovakia’s unemployment benefit recipients fall in June but unemployed graduates increase
The number of persons eligible for unemployment benefits in Slovakia continued to drop slightly in June on a monthly basis. Social security provider Sociálna Poisťovňa paid out unemployment assistance to 45,100 people in June which was a decrease by 1,600 from May, the SITA newswire reported.
Slovakia's premier football league kicks off season
Five matches of the Slovak premier football league 'Corgoň Liga' of the 2010-11 season were played on July 17 and July 18, the TASR newswire wrote. The round’s last, sixth match was to be played late on Sunday. Defending champions MSK Žilina started off on the right foot by beating FC ViOn Zlate Moravce.
Smer to challenge parliamentary coalition’s committee tactics with Constitutional Court
Opposition Smer party on Sunday, July 18, voiced its objections to the practice of parliament’s governing coalition through which it has put one lawmaker on more than one committee claiming that by so doing it is increasing its voting power. The deputy chairman of the party’s caucus, Miroslav Číž, told the TASR newswire that Smer lawmakers will seek a Constitutional Court ruling in September on whether the coalition is acting in violation of the Constitution and whether it is permissible to change the standing of parliamentary committees in this way.
Friendlier note sounded about Hungary
SLOVAKIA’S new government led by Iveta Radičová is expected to be warmer than its predecessor towards the country’s southern neighbour, Hungary, and begin to thaw the rather icy relations that have developed between the two countries over the past several years. So say observers on the Slovak side of the Danube River say as well as government officials in Hungary.
55 percent of employees in Slovakia earn monthly wage below mean average
THE MEAN AVERAGE monthly wage in Slovak economy was €773 over the last 12 months. However, the median – or middle – wage in society was only €700. Unlike the mean average, the median approach divides employees into two halves, taking the wage of those at the dividing point as the average. According to the latest available data, 55 percent of employees in Slovakia earned less than the mean average wage, Profesia, which runs the biggest job portal in Slovakia, wrote in a press release.
Solar collector and biomass boiler subsidies remain unclaimed
THE SLOVAK government is offering homeowners subsidies to buy solar collectors and biomass-fired boilers – but fewer than expected are taking up the offer. Dagmar Hlavatá of the communications department at the Economy and Construction Ministry said that subsidies totalling €2.375 million had been approved since April 2009, but more than €5.6 million allocated under the programme for this year remains unclaimed, the SITA newswire reported.
Contentment returns to Pohoda festival
The almost 30,000 music fans who attended the 14th Pohoda festival held at Trenčín airport in July helped create a unique and unforgettable atmosphere, the event’s organiser Michal Kaščák told the TASR newswire.
Government proposes curbs on MPs’ immunity
THE GOVERNMENT has proposed limiting Slovak MPs’ and judges’ immunity from prosecution. The move was agreed at a cabinet session on July 15 and, if passed, will mean that MPs’ immunity would be restricted only to statements and voting in parliament. Comparable rules would apply to judges, including those sitting in the Constitutional Court, and to the general prosecutor.
Contentment returns to Pohoda festival
The almost 30,000 music fans who attended the 14th Pohoda festival held at Trenčín airport in July helped create a unique and unforgettable atmosphere, the event’s organiser Michal Kaščák told the TASR newswire.
Industrial output is surprisingly positive in May
GROWTH in Slovakia’s industrial production accelerated significantly in May, exceeding analysts’ expectations. Production output was 31 percent higher than the same month last year and bettered April’s 21 percent increase. Slovakia’s Statistics Office said it was the strongest growth recorded so far this year.
Cabinet to ask EU for flood damage funds
THE SLOVAK Finance Ministry will seek relief funds from the EU Solidarity Fund before July 16, the deadline to submit an estimate of flood damages according to EU rules, the TASR newswire reported.
Photographic extravaganza in Liptovský Mikuláš
THE HOUSE of Photography in Liptovský Mikuláš this year continues its tradition of holding a Summer Photoschool. The 14th year of this marathon of photo workshops, seminars, consultations and presentations will take place in Liptovský Mikuláš between August 7 and 14. Even though the organisers have been forced to cut the number of photography classes to seven due to a lack of funds following the economic crisis, they will cover several topics and genres, according to Lucia Benická, the director of the House of Photography.
Survey gives Slovakia’s democracy a mediocre grade
A GRADE worse than 3 rarely pleases a Slovak pupil, as it is closer on the grading scale to 5 – meaning ‘fail’ – than to 1 – ‘excellent’. The new government, currently boasting promises to improve Slovakia’s political culture, increase transparency and actively fight corruption, will start from 3.4 – the grade given to democracy in Slovakia in the second quarter of 2010 by the Institute of Public Affairs’ (IVO) Barometer survey.
New project to support innovation in Slovakia
ONLY one-quarter of all companies in Slovakia are active in various innovation activities and the proportion is even lower among small and medium-sized companies (SMEs), at 19.2 percent. For that reason the National Agency for Development of Small and Medium Enterprises has launched a project named Support for Innovations in Slovak Small and Medium-sized Companies, the TASR newswire wrote in mid July.
Most industrial premises offered for rent in western Slovakia
BRATISLAVA and Trnava Regions offer the largest area of modern industrial premises for rent in Slovakia, according to a map updated by real estate advisory company Cushman & Wakefield (CW) in Slovakia. Martin Baláž of CW’s industrial real estate department said that the main site in Bratislava Region was a location on the D1 highway near the town of Senec, the SITA newswire wrote.
Slovak banking sector sheds more staff
THE NUMBER of employees in the Slovak banking sector dropped by 202 as of late March in comparison with the end of 2009. The registered number of staff members in banks has been gradually decreasing in each quarter since the end of 2008. Banks had 19,634 employees at the end of March, representing a year-on-year decline of 1,764, the SITA newswire wrote, citing data from the National Bank of Slovakia.
Prices register no monthly change in June
PRICES that Slovaks paid for goods and services in June were 0.7 percent higher than those in June 2009. Consumer prices in Slovakia, as measured by the European Union’s Harmonized Index of Consumer Prices (HICP) showed no monthly change in June, less than the small increase recorded in May, the Slovak Statistics Office reported in mid July.
New government turns the screw on Harabin
SUPREME Court President Štefan Harabin, who previously served as the country’s justice minister, is to lose his bodyguard. Interior Minister Daniel Lipšic, a nominee of the Christian Democratic Movement (KDH), said that protecting Harabin is costing Slovakia’s taxpayers far too much money: approximately €167,000 a year. Lipšic also argues that previous Supreme Court presidents have never had full-time protection. But Lipšic’s predecessor Robert Kaliňák was quick to attribute the minister’s move to what he called Lipšic’s personal antipathy towards Harabin. Lipšic and Harabin have long been political adversaries.
10 percent of Slovaks would work abroad
ONE in ten Slovaks have lived, worked or studied abroad in past years and at present the same percentage desire an opportunity to work in another country, according to a just published Eurobarometer survey that was based on polls taken in November and December 2009.
Tax collection in first of 2010 was 15 percent under target
TAX collection in the first half of 2010 was almost 15 percent below projections. As of late June, tax revenues amounted to €3.685 billion, which was 85.49 percent of the budgeted volume. On the other hand, non-tax revenues reported better-than-expected figures. Collection of these, at €128.9 million, exceeded the budgeted sum by 2.86 percent, the SITA newswire reported, citing the Tax Directorate of the Slovak Republic.
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