Deutsche puts Hoehmann in top spot at ST
Kai Hoehmann, a representative of Deutsche Telekom, was appointed as chair of the board of directors of Slovak Telecom (ST) during its regular session on August 22. Štefan Bugár was appointed deputy chairman. The board also decided that Ladislav Mikuš would become ST president. The new structure will start operating in September.
As the new majority owner of ST, Deutsche Telekom has decided to slim down the firm's management from the original nine board directors to six. Bugár had been ST's acting head following the resignation of Emil Hubinák from the post of general director in May.
Postive trade development continues in July
The trade deficit from January to July was less than 40% of the level reported for the same period of 1999, with July seeing a 38% year-on-year fall, Finance Minister Brigita Schmögnerová said August 21.
The minister added that the foreign trade results for July are among the best three sets of monthly trade figures this year. The Statistics Office was due to publish the exact figures on August 25. From January to July 1999, Slovakia's trade deficit stood at 28.8 billion crowns. The trade gap at the end of June 2000 was 10.18 billion crowns.
Budget revenues a surprise for January-July
Total state budget revenues collected by tax and customs offices in the first seven months of 2000 totalled 103.50 billion crowns, 3.84% more than planned, and 13.7 billion crowns higher than in the same period last year. Tax revenues totalled 101.05 billion crowns, 4.99% more than planned, while non-tax revenues totalled 2.45 billion crowns - only 71.61% of the planned volume.
Public transport unions head for strike
Representatives of the Dopravný Podník Bratislava (DPB) public transport company failed August 16 to agree with trade unions on 33 points of a 115-point collective agreement for 2001. Of this number, nine points are associated with wages. Representatives of the trade unions at DPB accepted the blueprint of the agreement submitted by a mediator for the Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Family. However, DPB refused the draft as a whole.
The company's unions said they would not make further concessions, and a strike committee established on August 10 said it would prepare further steps to force the signing of the collective agreement. The strike committee has the support of all five trade union organisations.
Compiled by Ed Holt
from SITA
