Archive of articles - May 2012
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PM targets banks to boost revenue
IT IS NOW clear that banks in Slovakia will be asked to make a significant contribution to the government’s effort to boost its revenue and reduce the country’s public finance deficit. The government has announced it will pursue a higher rate for the so-called special levy that banks began paying this year, while also mandating that banks offer a low-cost banking product so that the burden of the levy does not fall on the most vulnerable customers via higher fees. A similar basic banking package mandated by the Finance Ministry in 2010 to fire up bank competition on fees attracted only a handful of customers.
Slovakia’s social partners approve EU’s third energy package
Slovakia’s tripartite committee made up of representatives of employers, trade unions and the government, has recommended the cabinet to approve amendments to Slovakia’s energy laws that will transpose the EU's third energy liberalisation package into legislation. Representatives of trade unions and employers both gave support to the draft law.
Better VAT collection could add €1 billion revenue for Slovakia
Slovakia could increase its revenue from the value added tax (VAT) by some €1 billion through more efficient collection and streamlined VAT collection and for that reason the justice and finance ministries are jointly working on a draft revision to the VAT law to eliminate fraud, the SITA newswire wrote. The amendment is ready for submission to a cabinet session and has a proposed effective date of October 1, 2012.
Most-Híd and SMK leaders talk but do not fully agree
MOST-HID party, which bills itself as an ethnic reconciliation party and has MPs in the sitting parliament, and the Hungarian Coalition Party (SMK), which has no representation in parliament, cannot merge as they differ on several fundamental issues, said Béla Bugár, chair of Most-Híd after meeting with SMK leader József Berényi on May 30, the TASR newswire reported.
Igor Štefanov from SNS is charged in bulletin-board tender
The Slovak police have accused Igor Štefanov, the former minister of construction and regional development, a nominee of the Slovak National Party (SNS), with the crime of manipulating public procurement, the Sme daily wrote on its website on May 31. The number of persons accused in the so-called “bulletin-board tender” that occurred in 2008 rose from four to five, said an investigator from the police’s Office for the Fight against Corruption.
Judges elect eight new members of Slovakia’s Judicial Council
Slovak judges elected eight new members to the 18-member Judicial Council, the highest self-governing body within Slovakia's judiciary, the SITA newswire reported, and for the next five years these members will join their colleagues with the authority to appoint and dismiss judges as well as the president and vice-president of the Supreme Court.
Sme reports Most-Híd and Smer have agreed on proxy for minorities
The dominant Smer party and Most-Híd party, in the opposition, have agreed that Most-Hid will nominate the government proxy for minorities, the Sme daily wrote, citing information from the TA3 TV news channel.
Slovakia up one place in the 2012 Global Competitiveness Index
Slovakia's level of competitiveness improved slightly last year with the country rising from 48th to the 47th place out of 57 countries evaluated in the 2012 World Competitiveness Index (WCI), according to Matúš Pošvanc, the head of the F. A. Hayek Foundation who reported the results to the TASR newswire on May 30. The Slovak branch of the foundation is an economic think tank that prepared information about Slovakia for the WCI. Pošvanc highlighted that the country had plunged from 32nd to the 48th place in 2009. TASR wrote that the improvement recorded in Slovakia's competitiveness is relative and in absolute terms, as represented by main economic indicators, the competitiveness of Slovakia's economy worsened, but the country did better in the ranking thanks to an even more pronounced deterioration in certain other countries, especially in eastern Europe. When compared to its immediate neighbours, Slovakia lags behind the Czech Republic, which finished 33rd in the latest ranking, followed by Poland at 34th. Hungary was ranked 45th.
EC report: Slovakia needs to boost education and employment
Slovakia's economic growth should reach 1.8 percent in 2012 according to a report released by the European Commission on May 30, the TASR newswire reported. The Commission stated that the Slovak economy continues to be dependent on foreign demand which has resulted in lower growth in 2012. The report also mentioned several serious challenges, such as the country’s high unemployment rate (13 percent) which is expected to drop moderately only as late as in 2013. The European Commission especially pointed to youth unemployment. The report stated that Slovakia has introduced a series of measures aimed at bolstering its fiscal situation, making its pension system more sustainable, and increasing the level of transparency in state and other public commissions, TASR wrote, noting that the areas with the largest scope for improvement are reform of the labour market and the system of education and expert training.
Judges elect eight new council members
SHORTLY before the closely watched election of new members to the Judicial Council, Slovakia’s top judicial body, its chairman, Supreme Court president Štefan Harabin, e-mailed every Slovak judge to tell them which candidates he considered worthy to sit on the body. The council, among other things, has a decisive say in the election and recall of judges, including the president of the Supreme Court himself. Of the eight judges elected on May 30, four were on Harabin’s list.
Milionári
HAVING a weak currency has one huge advantage – there are a lot of millionaires running around. When the Slovak crown was still in circulation anyone whose assets currently exceed €33,000 could pride themselves on being a millionaire. And that memory serves the current cabinet well.
Lipšic and Žitňanská quit KDH caucus, will continue as independents
After announcing their departure from the Christian Democratic Movement (KDH) on Sunday, May 27, former interior minister Daniel Lipšic and MP Jana Žitňanská have now left the party's parliamentary caucus, the TASR newswire reported on Tuesday, May 29, citing party spokesman Matej Kováč.
Record number of bankruptcies announced in Q1 2012
The highest number of bankruptcies in a single quarter for the past six years was registered in the first three months of 2012, the firm Slovak Credit Bureau (SCB) announced on Tuesday, May 29. SCB operates the Banking and Non-Banking Register in Slovakia.
Fico: Regulated companies to pay levy of 4.2 percent for two years
Strategic regulated companies doing business in Slovakia will pay a one-off levy of 4.2 percent of their earnings in 2012 and 2013, Prime Minister Robert Fico said at a press conference on Tuesday, May 29. The government expects to raise €100 million a year via the measure, Fico said, as quoted by the TASR newswire, adding that the funds would be used for activities aimed at boosting economic growth.
Počiatek replaces heads of Slovenská Pošta and SACR
Slovak Transport Minister Ján Počiatek has replaced the heads of state-owned postal operator Slovenská Pošta and the Slovak Tourist Board (SACR), the Sme daily reported.
Harabin was not nervous after his vote
Slovakia’s judges have been voting to select eight new members of the Judicial Council. While they were not very talkative when they left the voting rooms, the chair of the Judicial Council, Supreme Court President Štefan Harabin, was not nervous and said that the judges “know what is important”, the Sme.sk website reported.
Slovakia wants an additional €300 million to decommission V1 nuclear plant
Slovakia is seeking an additional €300 million from the European Commission to support the decommissioning of the nuclear reactors located in the V1 nuclear power plant in Jaslovské Bohunice, Slovak Foreign Minister Miroslav Lajčák said after a meeting of foreign ministers in Brussels on May 29. But he commented that EC is so far willing to contribute only €115 million, the SITA newswire reported.
President of Nitra Region proposes his deputy’s dismissal
Milan Belica, president of the Nitra Self-Governing Region, wants to dismiss his deputy Vladislav Borík, a former member of the ruling Smer party who has been accused of wrongdoing related to public procurement processes, the Sme daily reported.
IMF expects Slovakia’s economy to grow by 2.6 percent this year
The economy of Slovakia should grow at a solid pace this year in comparison with other eurozone countries, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Daria Zakhar, the head of an OECD mission which has spent two weeks in Slovakia, said that economic growth might reach 2.6 percent of GDP and might even rise to 3 percent next year, the SITA newswire reported.
Find your ancestors in Slovakia
“Nomen Omen” – the name is a sign, said the ancient Romans. And if your name sounds Slovak, then you might want to follow the signs and find out if that’s really where your ancestors come from. Over the past few years, the seven state archives in Slovakia, which house historical records of births and deaths in their region, have grown accustomed to welcoming overseas researchers, trying to trace their genealogy in Slovakia.
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- Fico praises China and Vietnam as models, says liberal democracy has failed
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- The compass points to Kúty, and people are starting to follow
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- Slovak female triathlete shatters barriers with historic win at Himalayan event
- Weekend: Celebration of fun comes to Malacky Photo
- News digest: Fico’s bloc wants to save money by restricting electoral access
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- No more photos or bank statements? Slovakia moves to ease residence process
- Top 10 events in Bratislava for foreigners
- Maria Theresa on the banks of Bratislava More articles ›
