Archive of articles - February 2011, page 3
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Pustý hrad in Zvolen tops poll
THE TOP attraction in a poll that decided upon the Seven Wonders of Banská Bystrica Region is Pustý hrad (the Deserted Castle) in Zvolen. Vladimír Maňka, president of the region, announced the winners on January 24 based on a popularity poll that lasted for eight months.
Young skier saved from drowning
AN ACCIDENT nearly ended in tragedy at the Ždiar-Strednica ski resort on January 27 when a young boy participating in an organised trip from Poland skied outside the designated boundaries and fell into a 1.5-metre-deep pond used to make artificial snow. The boy, aged 11, was pulled from the freezing water by other skiers and ski-lift operators.
Slovakia’s €2 coin wins award in Berlin
SLOVAKIA’S €2 coin, depicting a double cross standing on three hills, designed by sculptor Ivan Řehák, has become one of the most sought after coins in global circulation and recently won a competition held in Berlin for the “best circulating coin”.
Value added tax
AS OF January 1, 2011, the basic rate of value added tax was increased from 19 percent to 20 percent. A reduced VAT rate of 10 percent on books and medicines was preserved.
Figeľ and Putin discuss rail links
SLOVAKIA’S Deputy Prime Minister and Transport Minister Ján Figeľ met Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin during a visit to Russia on February 23. High on the agenda of their talks was transport. Figeľ said restoration of flights between Bratislava and Moscow was a very realistic goal, the SITA newswire reported.
Bratislava is getting older
THE POPULATION of Bratislava is getting older according to a report on the Health Status of Residents of the Capital. The report, based on data from 2009, was provided to the city council on January 27 by Mayor Milan Ftáčnik.
Lipšic: No distribution of refugees from North Africa will take place
Slovakia won't support the concept of shared accountability for a potential influx of refugees from North Africa, Interior Minister Daniel Lipšic (Christian Democratic Movement (KDH)) said after a meeting of EU justice and interior ministers held in Brussels on Thursday, February 24.
First all-electric production car to take to Bratislava's streets
The Slovak capital is set to witness the first all-electric production vehicle in regular use with the launch of the battery-powered Citroën C-Zero city car, the TASR newswire learnt on Thursday, February 24.
Krajcer initiates discussion of church funding
Culture Minister Daniel Krajcer (Freedom and Solidarity (SaS)) on Thursday, February 24, met representatives of churches and religious communities in order to open a discussion on the funding of religion in Slovakia. A date for completing the discussions hasn't been set and the dialogue will be led on a nationwide level.
Slovakia to seek foreign investors during roadshow across USA
An investment roadshow currently being prepared and set to include Slovak Economy Minister Juraj Miškov will tour the USA and aim to attract investors to Slovakia, partly through talks with high-profile companies, the TASR newswire reported on Thursday, February 24.
Slota meets Romanian delegation, criticises Hungary
Ján Slota, leader of the opposition Slovak National Party (SNS), met a Romanian parliamentary delegation led by the chair of the Committee on Equal Opportunities for Men and Women, Ancuta Pocora of Romania's National Liberal Party, on Thursday, February 24, the SNS press department told the TASR newswire.
Finance Minister Mikloš comments on EU-proposed special bank tax
Neither the Finance Ministry nor the Slovak government will oppose a special bank tax in Slovakia if the initiative is co-ordinated within the entire EU and does not affect bank customers, Finance Minister Ivan Mikloš said at a press conference on February 23, the TASR newswire reported. A new tax on banks could be introduced as of January 1, 2012 Mikloš said, adding that the rate has not been agreed upon but it is expected to be in the region of hundredths rather than tenths of 1 percent.
Use of illegal software declining among firms in Slovakia
The use of illegal software in Slovakia is decreasing among companies but is on the rise in households, according to estimates by the Business Software Alliance (BSA), the SITA newswire reported, adding that the piracy rate in Slovak firms decreased by a couple of percentage points last year due to more awareness of the risks and prevention activities by BSA.
Flights between Bratislava and Moscow may start again
Transport Minister Ján Figeľ met with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin during his visit to Russia and told the SITA newswire on February 23 that restoration of flights between Bratislava and Moscow is quite very realistic. Regarding the future of the wide-gauge railroad project, Figeľ stated that a four-party analysis of its extension is underway, with Ukraine, Austria, Russia and Slovakia participating in it. Figeľ said the reserved position of the Slovak government on this project is due to a lack of finances for such an extensive investment. The minister did confirm Slovakia’s interest in modernising the wide-gauge railway track and its transhipment points in Slovakia.
Slovak MP wants defending Communism to be a crime under the Criminal Code
An MP who is a member of Slovakia’s Civic Conservative Party (OKS), Peter Osuský, would like to make denying, understating or defending the crimes of Communism a crime by proposing an amendment to the Criminal Code. Osuský is a member of the Most-Híd deputy caucus as OKS ran candidates in last June’s parliamentary election under the Most-Híd candidate list.
Finance Minister Mikloš will seek changes in ESM contribution formula
Slovakia will hold firm to its view that the ratio of contributions by individual eurozone members to the permanent European Stability Mechanism (ESM) that is due to become effective in 2013 should be changed, Finance Minister Ivan Mikloš told a press conference on February 23, the TASR newswire reported. The minister added that the government will remain adamant that a country's economic potency should be used as the main criterion when the issue is discussed. In line with the European Financial Stability Facility (EFSF), the scheme to provide financial assistance to eurozone countries in distress currently calls for countries' contributions to be calculated according to the amount of capital they have in the European Central Bank. In addition to a country's economic power its population is also taken into account, resulting in a formula that is unfair to smaller countries, Mikloš said. "We're aware of the need for cohesion and solidarity in the eurozone and we're ready to take part in this permanent mechanism, but our key condition is that the formula stipulating the countries' engagement in it should be changed," said Mikloš as quoted by the TASR newswire.
RTVS expects cumulative loss to reach €57.2 million in 2011
The cumulative loss of Radio and Television Slovakia (RTVS) in 2011 is expected to reach €57.2 million, the TASR was told by the RTVS spokesperson, Alexandra Stullerová Koreňová, on February 23. "According to the first analyses that the new RTVS management has at its disposal ... the loss in 2010 stands at €24.4 million," she said.
Belousovová remains in SNS parliamentary caucus so far
The former vice-chair of the Slovak National Party (SNS), Anna Belousovová, has not decided how she will work in parliament but she wants to make her decision known before next month's parliamentary session, the TASR newswire reported.
Slovak Foreign Ministry says 16 Slovaks seek assistance to leave Libya
A total of 16 Slovak citizens have asked the Slovak authorities for assistance in leaving Libya, Ľuboš Schwarzbacher, the spokesman for the Foreign Affairs Ministry told the TASR newswire on February 23. The ministry has arranged seats on aircraft and ferries of Slovakia's foreign partners, Schwarzbacher said.
Teenage Somali migrants detained in eastern Slovakia
Four refugees from Somalia were detained in eastern Slovakia on Tuesday, February 22.
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