Archive of articles - July 2013, page 3
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Why location and the euro both matter
SLOVAKIA’S European Union and eurozone membership and its geographical location in the centre of Europe make it a suitable target country for Japanese investors in search of new opportunities beyond the borders of their country. Yet, like all businesspeople, the decision of Japanese entrepreneurs to invest in a particular location is primarily affected by the overall economic situation and demand on the global market.
Adoptions to Italy raise questions
DOZENS of children born in Slovakia each year, unwanted by their own families and unable to find an adoptive family in their home country, have been fortunate enough to find new parents through intercountry adoptions. While there are not enough intercountry adoptions to generate much public interest, such adoptions recently became a hot-button issue, with some media outlets pointing out that the practice may have been conducted as a sort of business by some state officers in the past.
Wall separates Roma from non-Roma in Košice
ANOTHER wall dividing Roma from the majority population has been erected in Košice. The city municipality of Západ, which is behind the construction, argues that it did not violate any laws, even though city hall maintains that it never approved the construction. Meanwhile, a big ‘Prepáčte’ (Sorry) was painted on the wall itself.
New law to aim at illegal buildings
THE PROBLEM of illegal buildings is among the most frequently discussed issues in Slovak society, with politicians repeatedly proffering ideas to tackle it. The latest raft of proposals appears in a new construction bill prepared by the Transport Ministry, the draft of which was presented to the media on July 18.
New construction law in pipeline
SLOVAKIA’S obsolete construction law continues to be a thorn in the side of the business sector, municipalities and ordinary citizens. The current law dates back to 1976, and even though it has undergone extensive revamps, it is no longer suited to the conditions of a modern country. Preparation of a brand new construction law has been on the government’s agenda for many years, and the Ministry of Transport, Construction and Regional Development finally introduced a draft bill on July 18.
Raising Komárno's visibility
KOMÁRNO and the region along the Danube River may be of interest to Japanese tourists who visit the nearby cities of Bratislava, Vienna and Budapest in large numbers. To make the city and the region better known, Japanese Ambassador Akira Takamatsu has promised to send more information about its local attractions back to his home country.
Japanese culture marks anniversary
JAPANESE performers can hardly complain about the lack of an audience in Slovakia, since the locals appear to be quite responsive to different facets of Japanese culture. Yet, to mark the two decades of diplomatic ties between Slovakia and Japan, even more aspects of Japanese culture will be on offer in 2013. The culture of this distant land will also be represented within the European Capital of Culture 2013 (ECOC) in Košice through a series of events ranging from traditional theatre and music, through ancient games and tea ceremonies to modern visual art, performances and bonsai.
Royal visit boosted visits to Poprad website
A VISIT by Prince and Princess Akishino of the Japanese royal family boosted the number of visitors to the official website of Poprad, one of the places the couple visited during their official stay in Slovakia in late June, the SITA newswire wrote.
170th anniversary of codification of Slovak language celebrated
FESTIVITIES marking the 170th anniversary of the codification of the Slovak language took place on July 14 in the municipality of Hlboké in the Senica District, where Jozef Miloslav Hurban met with his peers to codify the language.
Indonesian cuisine: Cooking it slow and traditional
IN A WORLD dominated by fast food, slow-cooking is more than just a method of preparing food that intensifies the flavours of a dish. In the homeland of Djumantoro Purwokoputro Purbo, the Indonesian ambassador to Slovakia, it is a tradition with deep historical roots. Yet slow-cooking has also provided the culinary world with dishes that are popular outside of Indonesia.
Ministry defines 'Slovak' food
MODERN food production is a complicated process which often takes place across several countries, making the identification of a single country of origin a difficult task. Current EU and Slovak legislation allows food to be declared Slovak even when its production process involves several countries and perhaps only final packaging takes place in-country. The Slovak Agriculture Ministry has therefore proposed new rules defining what the ‘Slovak’ brand applied to foods or agricultural products should mean since “often food products with the same name are of totally different quality”, according to the ministry.
Debt stable for now, says ministry
SLOVAKIA will not need to borrow additional funds to service its debt, the Finance Ministry has said in response to opposition calls for the government to freeze expenditure in the budget for 2014 in light of Slovakia’s debt approaching the third constitutional debt-brake limit, 55 percent.
Monitoring of judiciary encouraged
“WE SHOULD stop talking about bad judiciary and bad judges and start concretely naming [them], assess and draw responsibility,” said Gabriel Šípoš, director of the political ethics watchdog Transparency International Slovensko (TIS), as he introduced a new open-data project which should help the public to take a closer look at Slovakia’s judiciary, plagued as it is by public mistrust. While the Ministry of Justice welcomed the portal, www.otvorenesudy.sk (‘Open Courts’), Štefan Harabin, the president of the Supreme Court, was highly critical, using his blog to say it harms the reputation of the courts.
A rather serious farce
THE WAY in which Slovak President Ivan Gašparovič formally appointed Jaromír Čižnár to the post of general prosecutor speaks volumes about the state of Slovakia’s politics. The media learned about the appointment and the subsequent ceremony only minutes before they took place, with the president offering no explanation as to why he chose not to inform reporters about an event which is normally flagged well in advance. Smer deputy Mojmír Mamojka, however, offered an explanation for Gašparovič: “I assume it was a reaction to media opinions on not appointing docent [Jozef] Čentéš, which Mr President did not always like. Obviously, after the previous experiences, he did not want to give it needless publicity.”
Japan: General facts
Political system: Parliamentary democracy with constitutional monarchyCapital: TokyoTotal area: 378,000 square kilometresPopulation: 127 millionLanguage: JapaneseCurrency: Yen
Akebono eyes Trenčín
JAPANESE car-industry supplier Akebono Brake Industry plans to build and operate a manufacturing facility in Trenčín where it will manufacture automotive components, the SITA newswire wrote.Akebono’s intention is to build the production plant in Trenčín in three phases – starting at 40,000 square metres and later increasing to a total of 120,000 square metres – and over time to hire up to 350 people. Based on unofficial reports the firm will invest between €20 million and €30 million.
Keeping existing investors is crucial
ALTHOUGH Koreans who come to Slovakia to work stay here for a relatively short period of time, they get along well with the Slovak people and become good neighbours and friends, says Sang-hoon Park, the ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Slovakia, who believes that these people “are invaluable assets in bringing the two cultures closer together”. The Slovak Spectator spoke to Sang-hoon Park about his diplomatic mission to Slovakia, the economic challenges faced by his homeland, the free trade agreement between Korea and the EU as well as investment and tourism potential.
Košice Children’s Historical Railway gets amphitheatre
ALPINKA, the terminal station of the Košice Children’s Historical Railway, has a new children’s amphitheatre. After the first performance on July 6, theatre and musical performances are scheduled for the whole tourist season, chairman of the Detská železnica Košice / Košice Children’s Historical Railway civic association Ľubomír Lehotský told the TASR newswire.
New foundation proposes monument for Slovak expats
ON THE occasion of the Day of Slovaks Abroad, members of the Matica Slovenská cultural organisation, the Migrácia SK civic association and the Association of Independent Experts for the Issues of History and Life of Slovaks, met in Bratislava in early July to found a new organisation called the Foundation for the National Monument of Slovak Emigration.
Regional governments collect €92 million from tax on motor vehicles in 2013 H1
Slovakia's eight regional governments (VÚCs) collected more than €92.6 million in total from taxes on motor vehicles in the first half of 2013, amounting to a year-on-year rise of €4.3 million, the Financial Administration (FS), a branch of the Finance Ministry, reported.
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- Top 10 events in Bratislava for foreigners More articles ›
