The new pressure vessel at Mochovce 3. (source: Courtesy of SE)
VAT increased – On September 3 the cabinet approved a 1 percentage-point hike in Slovakia’s value added tax to 20 percent beginning in 2011 as part of the government’s austerity package. VAT will remain at that level until the public finance deficit falls under 3 percent of GDP. The proposal was subsequently passed by parliament and is one of several measures designed to save the state €1.7 billion through a combination of tax increases and expenditure cuts.
First PPP package is killed – Transport Minister Ján Figeľ decided not to prolong the deadline for financial closure of the first PPP package for the construction of five sections of the D1 highway between Martin and Prešov. Figeľ explained that Slovenské Diaľnice, the concessionaire, which was to build and operate the 75-kilometre highway section for 30 years, was unable to ensure the project’s financial closure by August 30 and the deadline had been postponed several times by his predecessor without success.
Mochovce reached milestone – The Mochovce nuclear power plant, owned by Slovenské Elektrárne (SE), the country’s primary power producer, completed installing the pressure vessel for a third nuclear reactor on September 7. SE plans to put the third unit of Mochovce into operation at the end of 2012; a fourth unit will come online in 2013. After completion of Mochovce units three and four Slovakia will have six nuclear reactors generating power, all owned by SE: the four in Mochovce, known as EMO, and two in Jaslovské Bohunice known as V2.
