Archive of articles - October 2014, page 15
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New proposal limits pay
SERVING as an MP and as a mayor or a regional governor at the same time could soon become less profitable. The ruling Smer party, whose people will be most affected by the changes, has come up with a proposal less than two months before local elections that would limit politicians who previously drew two salaries simultaneously.
Japanese Centre opened
A JAPANESE Centre was opened at the Pan-European University in Bratislava on September 29 to offer the study of Japanese to students, who will then be able to study at Japanese schools or work at Japanese firms in Slovakia and Japan. It will also provide scope for intercultural education and traditional as well as modern Japanese culture.
Slovak economy to grow, but slower
SHOULD geopolitical tensions escalate, Slovakia’s economic growth would be threatened according to new forecasts, and the central bank has moderately reduced its forecast to 2.3 percent growth for this year.
Health-care institutions in Slovakia
Ministry of Health, www.health.gov.skMinister: Zuzana Zvolenská
Frešo still chief after tense SDKÚ congress
THREE deputy chairmen along with the Slovak Democratic and Christian Union’s (SDKÚ) treasurer and general secretary have resigned in response to party members opting not to oust chairman Pavol Frešo at the party’s special congress.
Beware of counterfeit medicine online
FAKE Viagra might be a better bet than heroin for someone trying to earn big money illegally, with profits from the sale of counterfeit pharmaceuticals exceeding that of illegal drugs – and their volume increasing annually.
Váhostav asks for restructuring
THE CONSTRUCTION company Váhostav-SK is trying to avoid bankruptcy, and has asked the court for protection from creditors and to launch the restructuring process. Troubles pressing one of the biggest construction companies have already created one victim, when the company Finasist of Juraj Široký, one of Váhostav’s shareholders, dismissed Ján Kato from his post as the firm’s CEO and chairman of the board of directors on September 26. He was replaced by Marián Moravčík, who was serving as the executive director of the Slovak Investment and Trade Development Agency (SARIO).
World of Drums returns to the Slovak capital
ORIGINALLY, the festival of percussions called World of Drums, which takes place in Bratislava, was conceived as a biennial event.
Still no deal on reporting property
PARLIAMENTARY political parties pledged to bring more transparency into politics before the 2012 elections. Not all of their pledges, among them stricter rules for property returns of public officials, have been fulfilled, even with the next parliamentary elections already in sight.
Fulbright Program has been operating in Slovakia for 20 years
THE J. W. FULBRIGHT Commission for Educational Exchange celebrates 20 years of operation in the Slovak Republic as it signed the bilateral agreement between the governments of the United States and Slovakia in September 1994.
Kiska appointed Švecová as Supreme Court chair
President Andrej Kiska on October 2 appointed Daniela Švecová as Supreme Court chair.
Russian gas supplies down by half, government talks options
GAS utility Slovenský plynárenský priemysel (SPP) again registered a significantly reduced flow of natural gas from Russia on October 2, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico said after an extraordinary government session later in the day, the TASR newswire reported.
Kažimír corrects Pavlis on money from Slovak Telekom sale
REVENUES from the sale of the state’s 49-percent stake in Slovak Telekom (ST) will be used mainly to reduce the state debt, Finance Minister Peter Kažimír has said in reaction to statements made by Economy Minister Pavol Pavlis.
Frešo to opponents: I won’t give an inch
SDKÚ Chairman Pavol Frešo on September 30 sent a letter to the party’s former vice-chairmen Viliam Novotný, Martin Fedor and Ivan Štefanec stating that he will not give an inch to their pressure and will not resign, the TASR newswire reported on October 2.
Foreigners sleep in front of office
LINES in front of Bratislava’s Office of the Border and Alien Police were so long in September that people would arrive a full 15 hours before business hours – some sleeping on the street.
SDKÚ’s youth organisation considers splitting from party
SDKÚ’s youth organisation New Generation is set to meet up on October 5 to decide whether to stay or leave SDKÚ in response to Pavol Frešo’s reluctance to resign as party chair, New Generation head Tomáš Smutný announced on October 1. Smutný added for the TASR newswire that as many as 160 delegates voted for Frešo’s removal at the party’s extraordinary congress on September 27, while only 48 delegates backed him. Frešo wasn’t dismissed, however, as at least 200 votes (from a three-fifths majority of the invited delegates) were needed, and he refused to resign of his own accord.
SaS MEP Sulík left liberals for conservatives in the EP
Chairman of the Slovak opposition party Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) and MEP Richard Sulík has left the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) and joined the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) faction.
Opposition initiates no-confidence vote on Labour Minister for October 9
Labour, Social Affairs and the Family Minister Ján Richter will soon face a no-confidence motion in parliament for his involvement in the Star EU agency scandal and in state subsidies for a privately owned property seizure office, MPs Lucia Nicholsonová (Freedom and Solidarity-SaS), Alojz Hlina (Independent-Slovakia’s Citizens) and Richard Vašečka (Ordinary People and Independent Personalities-OĽaNO) said at a press conference on October 1. The opposition has managed to collect enough signatures and wants to submit the proposal to Speaker of Parliament Pavol Paška on October 9. Paška will then have seven days to convene an extraordinary parliamentary session on the matter. The opposition sees two main reasons to oust Richter: a subsidy of €23,000 given in August to Rudolf Krutý’s Property Seizure Office with the aim of creating four new jobs; and a company called Star EU which won 70 tenders out of 70 concerning the drawing of European funds that were organised by local authorities following a recommendation given by then-Smer party general manager Richter to Smer mayors. “If the state’s priorities include providing subsidies to property seizure offices, then we don’t share this vision,” said Hlina, as quoted by the TASR newswire.
Government redirects money for Winter Olympics to Universiade
Part of the money that would have been used on the preparations for the Slovak part of the Winter Olympic Games in 2022, the bid for which has now been dropped, will be spent on the 27th Winter Universiade sports and cultural event for students in Štrbské Pleso in the High Tatra mountains and Osrblie in January 2015, the government decided on October 1.
Police officer accused in case of wrongfully convinced man
THE INSPECTION of the Interior Ministry found out that if was the police officer who failed in the case of Peter Végh who was sentenced to 16 months in prison for a theft that he did not commit. Though he had a DNA sample proving that Peter Végh was innocent, he had not reported it to the Interior Ministry or the court.
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