Archive of articles - April 2012, page 10
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GLOBSEC forum opens in Bratislava
Over 600 guests, including several ministers and three presidents, are attending the GLOBSEC 2012 international security forum, which opened in Bratislava on Thursday, April 12, the TASR newswire reported. The economy and the crisis in Europe are set to figure prominently on the agenda of the three-day event.
Industrial sector grows mostly due to car production
Production of automobiles in Slovakia was the predominant factor that contributed to the 8.4-percent year-on-year growth in the industrial sector in the first two months of 2012, the Slovak Statistics Office announced on April 11, the TASR newswire reported. "February's data confirmed a solid performance by Slovak industry, especially the industrial manufacturers," stated VÚB bank’s macroeconomist Andrej Arady, as quoted by TASR, adding that this growth bucks the trend of a European-wide slowdown. Arady said automotive manufacturing was the most significant factor in increasing year-on-year growth in industrial production from 3 percent in January to 10.7 percent in February. "Overall, despite the January slump in automobile production, Slovakia's industrial sector was ... pushed by the production of transport vehicles," the economist said, adding that first quarter results for 2012 are expected to be better than the original estimates.
ICT sector has highest salaries in Slovakia
Employees in the information and communication technology (ICT) sector received the highest average nominal monthly salaries during the first two months of this year at a level of €1,758. The average salary in the industrial sector was €801, selected market services was at €794, the wholesale sector at €738, maintenance of motor vehicles at €727, transportation and storage at €722, construction at €559, accommodation at €555, the retail sector at €550 and pubs and restaurants at €358, the Slovak Statistics Office reported on April 12, as cited by the SITA newswire.
Slovak allegedly linked to Budapest murder is extradited to Hungary
A second suspect thought to be involved in the 1998 death of János Fenyõ, a Budapest media entrepreneur, was arrested by Slovak police based on a European arrest warrant and extradited to Hungary last week. His name has not been released but he is suspected of having been the driver for another Slovak man, Jozef Roháč, who is alleged to have carried out the 1998 drive-by shooting, the Budapest Times wrote.
Finance minister recalls CEO of Tipos lottery company
Finance Minister Peter Kažimír from Smer party has recalled Miloš Ronec, the CEO and chairman of the board of the Tipos national lottery company, effective April 12, the ministry’s communication department informed the SITA newswire.
Becík turns down post as state secretary, preferring to farm
Stanislav Becík, the former agriculture minister (2008-10) from the Movement for a Democratic Slovakia (HZDS) turned down an offer to become the State Secretary (i.e. Deputy Minister) at the Agriculture Ministry and decided to remain a farmer, Agriculture Minister Ľubomír Jahnátek announced on April 11, the TASR newswire reported. "Mr. Becík told me this morning [April 11] that he would like to stay a farmer ... I've accepted his decision," said Jahnátek, as quoted by TASR newswire, adding that the door will always be open for Becík.
Gašparovič hosts two foreign presidents in Slovakia this week
Presidents of two European countries are coming this week for official state visits to Slovakia: Danilo Turk, the head of state of Slovenia and Ivo Josipovic, President of Croatia, the TASR newswire wrote. Turk and his wife Barbara will be hosted by Slovak President Ivan Gašparovič and the First Lady on April 12 and 13 with the topic of economic co-operation between Slovakia and Slovenia. An economic forum is also being organised for businesspeople from both countries. Bilateral trade with Slovenia has seen regular growth since 2009 and reached €650 million last year. Slovakia reported a surplus of €176 million in 2011. The officials are also set to discuss EU affairs, with both sharing similar positions on most EU issues. Turk will also visit with Prime Minister Robert Fico and Speaker of Parliament Pavol Paška on April 12, TASR wrote.
Constitutional Court accepts disciplinary motion against Harabin
A plenum of Slovakia’s Constitutional Court seated in Košice agreed in a closed session on April 11 to accept a motion filed by former Justice Minister Lucia Žitňanská for disciplinary ction against Štefan Harabin, the head of Slovakia’s Supreme Court, the court’s spokeswoman, Anna Pancúrová, told the SITA newswire.
Industrial production up 8.4 percent y-o-y in February
Slovakia’s Industrial Production Index (IPP) increased 8.4 percent year-on-year in February 2012, the Statistics Office announced on April 11. When seasonal influences are factored in, industrial production increased 2.8 percent month-on-month in February, the TASR newswire reported. Overall production was influenced by increases in manufacturing by 10.7 percent, in mining and quarrying by 9.5 percent and by a decrease in electricity, gas, steam and air-conditioning supplies by 4.2 percent, TASR wrote.
Bratislava hosts 7th GLOBSEC
MORE than 600 participants, including the presidents of three countries, several prime ministers and other ministers, as well as representatives of international security agencies and NGOs from nearly 50 countries came to Slovakia’s capital to attend the seventh year of the Bratislava Global Security Forum (GLOBSEC), organised by the Slovak Atlantic Commission (SAC).
Extra deputy ministers appointed
THE CABINET of Robert Fico is now ready to roll at full speed. Except for two departments – agriculture and education – all his new ministers now have appointed deputies, or state secretaries, in Slovak political parlance. Prime Minister Fico has now handed them their first tasks: to compile a list of laws that the cabinet must adopt promptly; and to review contracts that the previous government signed after it fell in October 2011.
Jachty
FOR A country with no sea, Slovakia has a lot of prominent yachting enthusiasts. And yachts (jachty) just keep resurfacing in the headlines.
J&T plans to buy Poštová Banka from Hoffmann
The J&T financial group intends to acquire Poštová Banka from businessman Mário Hoffmann and thereby enter the high street banking sector in Slovakia and the Czech Republic, Patrik Tkáč, deputy head of J&T’s board said, as reported by the Czech daily Hospodářské Noviny.
172 people file complaint against police action at Gorilla Protest
The police intervention at the Gorilla Protest in Bratislava on March 9, one day before the general election, is set to be investigated by the Office of the General Prosecutor after 172 citizens submitted complaints over the matter, the Gorilla Protest Civil Movement announced on Tuesday, April 10.
Fico to pay his first foreign visit since re-election to Czech Republic
Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer) will pay his first foreign visit, set for Friday, April 20, to the Czech Republic, in what has become a tradition for incoming Slovak leaders. Smer spokesman Erik Tomáš confirmed the plan on Tuesday, April 10, but did not reveal any further details of Fico’s itinerary, the TASR newswire reported.
Metalurgia employees ready to protest over unpaid salaries
Most of the employees of Dubnica nad Váhom (Trenčín Region) firm Metalurgia were planning to protest today (Wednesday, April 11) in front of the company's headquarters in an effort to obtain unpaid salaries and improve their "unbearable" working conditions, the TASR newswire reported.
Website reports that police have charged ex-mayor Ďurkovský
Police investigators have reportedly charged the former mayor of Bratislava, Andrej Ďurkovský, with violating his duties in managing public property, according to the Aktualne.sk news website. Ďurkovský, who was elected as an MP for the Christian Democratic Movement (KDH) in 2010 but later left the party, is one of the main suspects in the case, which pertains to the planned demolition of the PKO cultural centre in Bratislava. The police have not officially confirmed the report, the TASR newswire wrote.
New economy minister admits he is renting his house to Penta tycoon
The newly appointed economy minister, Tomáš Malatinský, has admitted that he has been renting a house in Záhorská Bystrica, an upmarket suburb of Bratislava, to Jaroslav Haščák, a co-owner of the Penta financial group, for several years. The rental contract reportedly has two pages and is very simple, the SITA newswire reported.
Smer MP to become new FNM head
The new management of the Economy Ministry has proposed Branislav Bačík, a former MP for the ruling Smer party, to become the new chair of the National Property Fund (FNM) privatisation agency, the SITA newswire reported.
New deputy ministers named
The government has announced its candidates for the posts of state secretaries (i.e. deputy ministers). The only exception is the Education Ministry whose head, Dušan Čaplovič, has still not chosen a deputy, the Sme daily reported. Ministers in the new government were appointed last week.
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