Archive of articles - December 2013, page 9
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Parliament passes 2014 budget
THERE was little drama as the state budget for 2014 sailed through a parliament dominated by the ruling Smer party on December 12, with all the 81 Smer deputies present voting in its favour and nearly all members of the opposition opposed. However, the government’s commitment to deficit targets, along with the means through which it plans to achieve these goals, will test how waterproof the coffer plan, tailored by the department of Finance Minister Peter Kažimír, is.
Iran releases remaining Slovak paragliders
IRANIAN authorities released the two remaining Slovak paragliders detained in May for alleged espionage and carrying illegal devices.
Slovakia and Hungary draw up new border treaty
THE STATE border between Slovakia and Hungary is to be based on a new treaty, which the two parties are currently working on. The new treaty is to replace old documents from the 1920s, which have been amended several times.
SDKÚ still undecided on presidential candidate
WITH almost a dozen candidates now officially running in the spring 2014 presidential race, the biggest question remains whom the ruling Smer party will put in the game. But it is also not clear whom the Slovak Democratic and Christian Union (SDKÚ), one of the major opposition parties, will support.
Tešedíkovo could turn to Constitutional Court
CITIZENS of the village of Tešedíkovo should exercise their constitutional right and turn to the Constitutional Court over the government’s refusal to oblige to their request to have the village renamed to Pered, Most-Híd MPs Arpád Érsek and Gábor Gál wrote in an open letter they sent to the village, the TASR newswire reported on December 10.
Lajčák honoured to pay respects to Mandela
FOREIGN Minister Miroslav Lajčák paid respects to Nelson Mandela in Johannesburg at the memorial service on December 10. He said it was an honour to represent Slovakia at the service.
Paška blocks petition, disputing Procházka signature
In the case of disputed signature under the proposal to initiate an extraordinary parliamentary session on non-banking institutions, Speaker of Parliament Pavol Paška said that the independent MP and presidential candidate Radoslav Procházka lied about his signature. “These are lies and misinterpretations,” said Paška, as quoted by the TASR newswire. He stressed that Procházka signed the petition “in a non-standard way”, unlike the rest of 29 MPs. For a proposal to be debated at parliamentary session, it needs 30 signatures of MPs. Paška said that a proper signature is when it is written in block letters and then some unreadable scribble is added to it, the Sme daily wrote. Unlike others, Procházka only wrote his name in a readable form, without adding the scribble. On December 9, opposition MPs led by independent Alojz Hlina tried to initiate an extraordinary session but failed, falling one signature short. Paška also announced that Smer probably won’t support the special session even if the proposal passes – as he thinks that some MP would abuse the session for self-presentation. He also believes, according to TASR, that Hlina’s proposal for an extraordinary session is an attempt “to destroy the normal running of Parliament”. Procházka considers Paska's decision not to convene the special session deliberate obstruction.
AmCham: Firms face excessive taxation and paperwork
Businesses in Slovakia are troubled by an excessive administrative burden, high taxes and an inefficient judiciary, according to a recent survey carried out by the American Chamber of Commerce in Slovakia (AmCham).
Ryanair might open regional hub in Bratislava
Irish low-cost carrier Ryanair could open one of its regional centres at Bratislava’s M.R. Štefánik Airport (BTS) next year, Ryanair General Director Michael O’Leary said Tuesday during a meeting with Slovak Ambassador to Ireland Dušan Matulay in Dublin. “The base could be built next September at the earliest... when the company should have new planes,” the Foreign and European Affairs Ministry told TASR newswire. The new base should bring a larger volume of flights and passengers as well as new destinations. Matulay was, according to the ministry, also interested if Ryanair plans to fly to other Slovak cities such as Košice and Poprad in connection with the Slovak presidency of the EU Council in the second half of 2016, which will be associated with more traffic throughout Slovakia.
National Bank confirms 0.9 percent growth in 2013, forecasts 2.2 percent in 2014
Slovakia’s gross domestic product (GDP) will grow by 0.9 percent in 2013, the Slovak central bank (NBS) said in its estimate for the final quarter of the year, which confirms its September forecast. “With regard to the basic numbers concerning economic development, the prognosis is very, very similar to the previous forecast,” NBS Vice-governor Ján Tóth said on December 10, a quoted by the TASR newswire. The latest update slightly modifies the GDP growth forecast for the coming years. For 2014 it expects economic growth of 2.2 percent of GDP, while it originally predicted 2.1 percent. In 2015, the forecasted growth decreased from 3.2 to 3.1 percent. According to Tóth, the small changes in expectations for the next year are mainly due to one-off budget savings measures implemented by the government that surpass what was foreseen in the previous forecast. “As for 2015, we expect slightly slower external demand,” Tóth said.
Procházka discusses his plans if elected president
REPLACING the Constitutional Court’s leadership, active protection of water and land as strategic resources and moving a portion of the president’s administration from Bratislava to Banská Bystrica were among the key points in the election programme presented by independent MP and presidential candidate Radoslav Procházka on December 9. The programme is called “A Strong President”.
EU could intervene in Harabin case
THE FAILURE of the Constitutional Court to renew disciplinary proceedings against Supreme Court President Štefan Harabin could lead to a visit from the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers, warned Slovakia’s representative to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) Marica Pirošíkova.
Industrial production up by 6.8 percent in October
INDUSTRIAL production in Slovakia rose by 6.8 percent year-on-year in October, as a result of the rise in industrial manufacturing by 9 percent, according to the Statistics Office data. Production dropped in electricity, gas, steam and air-conditioning supply by 7.2 percent year-on-year, and in mining and quarrying by 2.6 percent y/y. After seasonal adjustments, industrial production rose by 0.4 percent compared to September.
Slovak coins exchanged only until year’s end
THE CENTRAL bank, the National Bank of Slovakia (NBS), will only exchange coinage in Slovak crowns for euros until January 2, 2014. After that day, exchanging the currencies will no longer be possible, NBS spokesperson Petra Pauerová told The Slovak Spectator.
SPP shareholder to change ownership
THE CZECH company EPH, which controls the transit of gas through Slovakia and its distribution into households, shall change shareholders. The J&T finance group and Daniel Kretinsky will stay, but Petr Kellner, allegedly the richest man in the Czech Republic, plans to sell his shares, the Sme daily reported.
Parliamentary session cancelled over doubts about MP’s petition signature
THE OPPOSITION failed to convene a special parliamentary session to discuss the practices of financial deposit companies who lend money with excessively high interest.
Tax fraud group uncovered
NINE people have been accused following the police action dubbed ‘Sneh’ (Snow). They are accused of having evaded taxes totalling €6.7 million. Two tax officers from Trnava Region were members of the group as well, the police announced on December 9.
Slovak to fly into outer space
ANOTHER Slovak, Róbert Vokál, a 26-year-old native from Bratislava, will make the trip into outer space next year. He was selected among 23 applicants in Space Camp tests in Orlando, Florida, within the Axe Apollo Space Academy (AASA) project of the Space Expedition Corporation, the SITA newswire reported.
Lajčák to represent Slovakia at farewell to Mandela
DEPUTY Prime Minister and Foreign and European Affairs Minister Miroslav Lajčák will represent Slovakia at the official farewell for the late former South African president Nelson Mandela in Johannesburg on Tuesday, the TASR newswire reported.
More tourists visiting Slovakia
ALMOST 3.2 million tourists from within and beyond the country chose Slovakia as their holiday destination in the first three quarters of 2013, which constitutes a rise of 7.9 percent year-on-year, Transport Minister Ján Počiatek informed, as reported by the TASR newswire.
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