Marta Ďurianová

Learning lessons from the crisis

A FAILURE of corporate governance in banks has played a role in the current financial crisis, according to the president of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), Richard Aitken-Davies, speaking… 3. nov3. Nov 2008, at 0:00

Crisis in eurozone could mean pricier mortgages here

IT SEEMS that barely a leaf can fall on world markets, without an army of Slovak market watchers, central bank analysts and media commentators pondering the slightest impact it might have on Slovakia. 27. oct27. Oct 2008, at 0:00

Private equity eyes crisis-hit opportunities

A POSSIBLE tightening of banks’ lending policies as a result of the financial crisis could lessen the investment activity of private equity investors; at the same time, the crisis is opening up new investment… 27. oct27. Oct 2008, at 0:00

Reforms will keep Slovakia appealing

GERMANY is Slovakia’s strategic investor. It is also Slovakia’s strategic business partner as the EU country to which it exports and from which it imports the largest volume of goods. 27. oct27. Oct 2008, at 0:00

The hardest part is yet to come

Banks, large, and medium-sized companies are well prepared for the euro switchover, said Igor Barát.

BANKS have been preparing for Slovakia’s adoption of the euro for more than two years. Now they, as well as the National Bank of Slovakia and the government proxy for euro adoption, say that the conversion process… 20. oct20. Oct 2008, at 0:00

Mild bubble maybe, but no catastrophe

The real estate boom in Slovakia has been fuelled by genuine customer demand, according to analysts.

ALTHOUGH the current mortgage crisis might tighten the conditions under which mortgages are provided in Slovakia, no dramatic changes or steep growth in prices are expected. As mortgage products are still… 20. oct20. Oct 2008, at 0:00

Landlines aren’t sounding a swan song

Landlines remain attractive for companies.

HOUSEHOLDS worldwide have been abandoning landlines, causing fixed-line operators to focus on business clients, who continue to use the service. Compiled by Spectator staff from press reports 13. oct13. Oct 2008, at 0:00

TV will go digital; tender launched

MANY European countries are aiming to achieve full digital television coverage by 2010. In Slovakia, digital video broadcasting should fully replace the existing analogue television system no later than 2012,… Compiled by Spectator staff from press reports 13. oct13. Oct 2008, at 0:00

Mobile data services are all the rage, say operators

Mobiles are used for more than just making calls.

MOBILE data services are experiencing a golden age in the European Union, at least according to recent surveys. 13. oct13. Oct 2008, at 0:00

Slovaks commute, but aren't so keen to relocate

Slovaks, when they move, normally plan to stay for a long time.

AMERICANS often follow lucrative job offers by relocating their whole family from one place to another, depending on how local labour markets develop and how their career paths change. Slovaks, like many of their… 6. oct6. Oct 2008, at 0:00

Part-timers are a lonely few

Office work can be ideal for part-timers.

SLOVAKIA is behind the curve in Europe when it comes to part-time employment: only Bulgaria has fewer people using this form of employment.According to Eurostat data, only 2.6 percent of all employees in Slovakia… 6. oct6. Oct 2008, at 0:00

The joys of teambuilding

SLOVAK firms are warming up to teambuilding, which uses activities indirectly related to their employees’ work to improve quality and lift morale. 6. oct6. Oct 2008, at 0:00

Insurance market reached even split

People are becoming more interested in the quality of their property insurance.

LAST year, the ratio between life insurance and non-life insurance policies in Slovakia reached 50:50 for the first time. This means the Slovak market now more closely resembles that in western countries, where… 29. sep29. Sep 2008, at 0:00

Logistics firms look east

Locations around Bratislava, such as this one near Senec, are still the most attractive.

SLOVAKIA’S logistics centres are still concentrated mainly in the western part of the country, near Bratislava. However, investors are starting to focus more and more on eastern Slovakia, which neighbours Ukraine. 22. sep22. Sep 2008, at 0:00

Narrower and steeper

IInvestors prefer to use the previous standards when constructing freeways.

FREEWAYS and motorways can be built narrower and steeper under new standards that took effect on July 1. The Office for Standards, Metrology and Testing has stated that the revised standards will make highway… 22. sep22. Sep 2008, at 0:00

Only the strong will survive

DURING the recent years of record growth in the transportation market, many carriers invested in expanding their vehicle fleet in order to satisfy the customers’ demands. However, although the transportation market… 22. sep22. Sep 2008, at 0:00

The fastest but not the highest

New apartments in Slovakia are the third most expensive or second cheapest in the V4.

LAST year the prices of new apartments in Slovakia grew faster than in any of the other Visegrad Four (V4) countries. But despite the fast growth, new apartment prices in Slovakia have yet to reach the highest… 15. sep15. Sep 2008, at 0:00

Retail parks are slowly sprouting

Slovakia has little concept of retail parks – for now.

SLOVAKIA has little concept of retail parks, which are widely known in the rest of the Europe and the United States. But that might change soon. A retail park is a unit of three or more outlets with a total area of… 15. sep15. Sep 2008, at 0:00

A tricky shot from the rough

Easy does it: golfing is still a minority sport in Slovakia

GOLF in Slovakia has a very weak tradition. Slovakia has several quality golf courses and several projects to develop new golf resorts are currently in the pipeline. However, it could be a very long time yet before… 15. sep15. Sep 2008, at 0:00

EU made Slovakia visible in British eyes

BRITISH capital flowed into Central Europe after the fall of the Iron Curtain, but it only trickled into Slovakia until the country joined the European Union in 2004. However, Britain’s volume of investment in… 8. sep8. Sep 2008, at 0:00

Spectacular Slovakia travel guide: Live your own story of Slovakia.

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