Good evening. Here is the Tuesday, December 12 edition of Today in Slovakia - the main news of the day in fewer than five minutes.
State budget approved by government
The December 12 government session in Trenčín, western Slovakia. (source: TASR)
On Tuesday, the government approved the draft of a budget for the years 2024-2026. Next year, the total general government revenue is expected to reach €53.48 billion, while expenditures should stand at €61.32 billion. The deficit should be 5.97 percent of Slovakia's GDP.
The Finance Ministry predicted that from 2025 onwards, EU fiscal rules are likely to require a further deficit reduction of 1 percent of GDP per year. No consolidation plans have been prepared due to the short amount of time since the new government took office.
The state is expected to invest €1.49 billion in supporting the economy next year, mainly entrepreneurship, the restructuring of the industrial sector, energy and innovation, informatisation, regional development, support for tourism. A total of €242 million has been allocated for Valaliky Industrial Park in eastern Slovakia, where the carmaker Volvo is expected to open a new plant.
A total of €4.86 billion will be invested in education, science, research and sport.
Slovakia's defence spending should total €2.63 billion in 2024, making up 2 percent of the country's GDP and in line with the standard commitment for NATO-member countries.
The health-care sector should receive €7.97 billion. The Health Ministry declared that its 2024 priorities will include introducing the DRG system, implementing the hospital reform, and addressing the underfunding of state-run hospitals, among other things.
The draft should be included in the agenda of the current parliament session meeting as early as on Tuesday, according to PM Robert Fico. If not approved by December 22, officially the last day of the session, the parliament will discuss it between the holidays or in early January.
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FEATURE STORY FOR TUESDAY
The largest in business in Slovakia
Hundreds of companies and institutions filled out questionnaires for the Largest in Business yearbook.
In this story, you will find out which company paid the most in taxes, and the largest aquaparks or ski resorts. The rankings provide ratings in 50 different categories and show which sectors or companies have grown the most.
EVENT FOR WEDNESDAY
Can war become mundane?
A Ukraine tank as seen through binoculars during a military exercise. (source: TASR)
Can war fit in between weather, sports and stock market news?
Five Slovak documentary photographers, one reporter and the Absynt publishing house decided to do everything to prevent this from happening. Their effort culminated in a joint work - the photobook 'UKRAINE 24/02/22-' that embodies the memory of this war.
The stories from their travels can be heard tomorrow at the Nová Cvernovka venue in Bratislava from 18:00. For more information and tickets click here.
IN OTHER NEWS
More than 10,000 people came to Námestie Slobody square in Bratislava to protest against the government's actions to abolish the Special Prosecutor's Office and other changes to the Criminal Code, with thousands more in Košice, Nitra, Žilina and Banská Bystrica. The protests were organised by the opposition parties Progresívne Slovensko, SaS and KDH. In Bratislava, people chanted slogans such as "We will not give up Slovakia", "Enough of Fico" or "We will not be quiet".
The city of Bratislava is starting to install wooden pens where people can leave their trees after Christmas. Once again, some will be used to produce bookshelves by Ikea. Several of the bookshelves will be donated to schools, centres and single-parent families, while the rest will be sold. In total, about 700 pens will have been installed by the end of December. Their location throughout the city can be found here. The trees will be collected between January 4-16. Last season, 43,000 trees weighing 237 tonnes were collected. (TASR)
The Slovak government will adhere to and respect the One China Policy, PM Robert Fico (Smer) wrote on social media after meeting Chinese Foreign Affairs Vice Minister Deng Li. According to Fico, the meeting was a preparation for his visit to China next spring. (TASR)
The number of visitors staying in tourist accommodations in Slovakia rose by 5 percent year-on-year to 473,000 in October 2023, but the figure was still almost one fifth lower than in the pre-pandemic year of 2019, the Statistics Office reported on Tuesday, still adding that 'this was the best October in the past three years'. (TASR)
WEATHER FOR WEDNESDAY
Overcast, foggy and rain, snow expected in the mountains. Daily temperatures will rise to between 1 °C and 7 °C. Level 1 ground ice has been issued for parts of central and eastern Slovakia, see map here. (SHMÚ)
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