Archive of articles - December 2014, page 10
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Tax assignation disputed again
THE END of the year is traditionally a tough time for the third sector in Slovakia, as the question of the so-called assignation mechanism is again being reopened. And while last year the existing setting of the scheme enabling private as well as corporate taxpayers to assign a portion of their paid income and corporate taxes to a selected non-governmental organisation was kept, in November this year the Slovak parliament approved a revision to the income tax law based on which firms will be able to assign a lower portion of their taxes or will have to donate more from their profits in order to increase their assigned share. The third sector fears that this change could result in a gap in their funding and that it will mean less money to support their activities.
NGOs receive over €52 million
CORPORATE entities and private individuals assigned over €52 million to civil associations, non-profit organisations, foundations and others from income and corporate taxes they paid for 2013. This sum already includes assignations from tax returns postponed to September, Patrícia Macíková, the spokesperson of the Financial Administration told the SITA newswire.
Number of cancer deaths is on the rise
ABOUT ONE quarter of deaths in Slovakia is caused by cancer, statistics suggest. Though the situation is still better than the European Union average, the number of people suffering from colon cancer is alarming as it is the second highest in Europe. Experts say that the situation could improve with active screening.
Assault rifle tender questioned
DEFENCE Ministry officials deny they signed a contract with Czech firearms manufacturer Česká zbrojovka Uherský Brod (ČZUB) using a direct order without informing the public, after the Sme daily made an allegation on November 28, citing a ministry document.
MPs pass anti-shell law
PARLIAMENT adopted the revision to the public procurement law, which is meant to ban shell companies from the public procurement process, by 85 votes, on December 3. While the law has been criticised by NGOs and the opposition, Justice Minister Tomáš Borec promised to tighten it in the coming months.
Corruption perception improves
SLOVAKIA improved its position in the Corruption Perception Index by Transparency International compared to last year. It placed 54th of 175 surveyed countries, up by six places.
The resignation game
PRIME Minister Robert Fico has got the attention of media by suggesting that a military conflict in Ukraine has a 70-percent probability. “I am talking about a big military conflict,” Fico heralded, insinuating that he has a bigger conflict on his mind than that of Russia and Ukraine. Yet, renowned foreign policy expert Alexander Duleba of the Slovak Foreign Policy Association said he does not expect the situation in Slovakia’s eastern neighbour to get any worse.
President sets date for ‘family’ referendum
PRESIDENT Andrej Kiska has set February 7 as the date for the referendum on the “protection of family”, after the Constitutional Court (CC) approved three out of four referendum questions in October.
Fico balks at Ukraine’s NATO membership
AS NATO foreign ministers gathered in Brussels and agreed to creating a new rapid reaction force based in Eastern Europe on December 2, in Bratislava Prime Minister Robert Fico was asserting that Ukraine should not be invited to join the military alliance.
NGOs need more alternatives for financing
THE 25th anniversary of the Velvet Revolution, an essential milestone for the development of civil society in Slovakia, found the seat of the government’s proxy no longer vacant. Martin Giertl, who has been involved with the country’s third sector since 1994, took up the post on November 15. Shortly after that, The Slovak Spectator interviewed Giertl over the e-mail about his plans in the office and his views of the state of civil society in Slovakia.
Compromise revision to petition bill
THE SLOVAK cabinet adopted in early November a compromise revision to the law on petitions which also sets rules for conducting electronic petitions. Contrary to the original draft revision prepared by the Government Office, it will also be possible to promulgate and support e-petitions on civic portals, not only on the central portal of public administration. Moreover, the duty to sign an electronic ordinary petition by a guaranteed electronic signature was omitted from the draft bill. The bill, whose effectiveness of some parts is proposed for September 15 of the next year and for others as of January 1, 2017, still needs approval by parliament.
Martin Hriňák of Košice wins Slovak record in spading
SLOVAK competition and an attempt at a Slovak record in spading was organised during the 5th year of the orcharding and farming JAHRADA in Expo Centre Trenčín on October 24 and 25.
Countrywide Events
Western SLOVAKIA
Slovak collections in digital library
ALTOGETHER, 11 important manuscripts and printed literary heritage from the collections of the Slovak National Library (SNK) were published in the World Digital Library (WDL). It is a project of the Library of Congress in Washington D.C. on which UNESCO and its 181 partners, including libraries, archives, museums, galleries and educational institutions from Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe and the Americas cooperate.
Education path leads to the Hussite walls
PRIETRŽ, a municipality in western Slovakia, officially opened a new education, or informative, path leading to the so-called Hussite walls at the end of October.
Film festival: 9,133 days later
NATIONS and countries have their moments that make history; in the case of November 17, 1989 this was a turning point for a whole region – eastern and central Europe – that was connected by the same regime of communism. It started first as a subtle, not quite probable protest movement, a feeling that something was happening and that the undercurrent of reluctance and resistance were finding their way to the surface, in the process connecting with other similar streams and finally erupting as forceful currents and geysers of revolt that toppled the regimes.
A Night at the… Theatre
THERE are several events in Slovakia that try to entice visitors and show them something “beyond the common experience”. One of them is the Night of Theatres, originally started in Zagreb theatres, that has now expanded across Europe – and also to Slovakia.
The oldest hotel in the Tatras undergoes reconstruction
AFTER 20 years of dilapidation, the Lomnica Hotel in Tatranská Lomnica is now undergoing a thorough reconstruction.
Whistleblowers gain protections
PEOPLE reporting corrupt behaviour or murky practices will get legal protection from being punished by their employers. Experts praise the new law, which will become effective on January 1, 2015, but warn that its effectiveness will be proven only after it comes into force.
Budget passed, deficit to fall
THE SLOVAK Parliament dominated by Prime Minister Robert Fico’s Smer party smoothly adopted the state budget for 2015 on December 4. The approved budget differs from that the Fico’s cabinet submitted to parliament in mid-October as results of new methodology to calculate general government finances enabled it to increase the budget deficit, even though it remains below this year’s 2.9 percent. Fico along with Finance Minister Peter Kažimír said the budget met social as well as fiscal principles, with the cabinet able to finance its priorities.
- The law changed. Our family papers were ready. Now my kids are Slovak citizens
- Maria Theresa on the banks of Bratislava
- The Kremlin’s security agency has a Russian contractor in Slovakia - no one has noticed
- Slovak female triathlete shatters barriers with historic win at Himalayan event
- From eight to thousands of runners. How Košice marathon rose to prominence Photo
- No more photos or bank statements? Slovakia moves to ease residence process
- Slovakia loses another EV model to Spain as Stellantis chooses Zaragoza over Trnava
- Iconic Slovak barn still draws crowds. Without donors, it might have been lost Photo
- The law changed. Our family papers were ready. Now my kids are Slovak citizens
- Maria Theresa on the banks of Bratislava
- Slovak female triathlete shatters barriers with historic win at Himalayan event
- The Kremlin’s security agency has a Russian contractor in Slovakia - no one has noticed
- No more photos or bank statements? Slovakia moves to ease residence process
- Slovakia loses another EV model to Spain as Stellantis chooses Zaragoza over Trnava
- From eight to thousands of runners. How Košice marathon rose to prominence Photo
- Iconic Slovak barn still draws crowds. Without donors, it might have been lost Photo
- The law changed. Our family papers were ready. Now my kids are Slovak citizens
- Maria Theresa on the banks of Bratislava
- No more photos or bank statements? Slovakia moves to ease residence process
- Weekend: Celebration of fun comes to Malacky Photo
- 3 free things to do in Bratislava in the next seven days
- Top 10 events in Bratislava for foreigners
- Digital Jarvis is real now. He is coming for your to-do list
- The Kremlin’s security agency has a Russian contractor in Slovakia - no one has noticed
- The law changed. Our family papers were ready. Now my kids are Slovak citizens
- Maria Theresa on the banks of Bratislava
- No more photos or bank statements? Slovakia moves to ease residence process
- A mayor resigns over €2.7 million fraud scandal at town hall
- The Kremlin’s security agency has a Russian contractor in Slovakia - no one has noticed
- Fico praises China and Vietnam as models, says liberal democracy has failed
- News digest: Violent gang in Bratislava is under arrest
- He designed Gatwick. But this is his masterpiece
- The law changed. Our family papers were ready. Now my kids are Slovak citizens
- News digest: Prosecutor seeks jail for NBS Governor Kažimír as his political support wanes
- Slovakia loses another EV model to Spain as Stellantis chooses Zaragoza over Trnava
- 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
- Slovakia plans to restrict access to new medicines amid funding shortfall
- No more photos or bank statements? Slovakia moves to ease residence process More articles ›
