List of author's articles, page 4
Finnish cuisine: Flavours from the Land of Lakes
IT REQUIRES little insight into Finnish cuisine to guess that people in ‘the land of a thousand lakes’ consume a wide variety of fresh water fish. Yet, Finland could also be dubbed the land of mushrooms and “the sweetest strawberries” as Henna Kaarina Knuuttila called it when explaining that Finland’s “nightless nights” bless the berries with a lot of light, which influences the flavour of the food.
How to calculate income tax and payroll levies
Each self-employed individual or person with a trade licence can choose whether to use single-entry bookkeeping, in which he (or she) records business-related expenses, or instead take advantage of a 40-percent lump-sum allowance for expenses, in which case he does not account for specific outgoings but merely deducts a flat 40 percent from his income in lieu of receipted expenses. From January 1, 2013 onwards this deduction has been capped at €420 per month or €5,040 per year. Depending on the approach one chooses, personal income tax is calculated as follows:
Letter from the publisher
Dear readers,KRÁSNA Hôrka Castle destroyed by fire; the Catholic Church firing the archbishop of Trnava without explanation; Slovakia returning from the ice hockey world championship with a silver medal; and Fico’s new cabinet taking the reins: these are only some of the numerous stories that our readers found most popular on the spectator.sk website.
Dear readers
This is the last issue of The Slovak Spectator for 2011, which gives us the opportunity to thank all our readers for their loyalty during the year. We are about to wrap up a very challenging year, during which our journalists reported on the closely watched bailout vote that ultimately brought down the government of Iveta Radičová, the departure of the defence minister over a wiretapping scandal, and the adoption of legislation designed to bring more transparency to the judicial and prosecution systems, among many other subjects.
Letter from the publisher
Dear readers, Every year, when the editorial team of The Slovak Spectator starts working on the very last issue of the year, compiling a review of the most important political and economic happenings, we all look back and think about all the challenges we have faced and what it took to make it through 2010 while preserving all our products and guarding the spirit of our publishing house.
Staying ahead of the competition
A competitor always wants to stay one step ahead of the competition. Though Slovakia’s adoption of the euro and the country’s higher labour productivity have provided it with a competitive advantage over other central and eastern European countries, if growth stops in other significant indicators or if these indicators improve less vigorously, another regional country could easily surpass Slovakia.
Carrying good media traditions forward
We live in times when the power and mission of print media is being very intensively debated; we pursue the gigantic challenge of how to effectively combine online and print reporting while ensuring that the good old newsprint version – with its feel, smell and even smudges of ink that often mark readers’ fingers after leafing through its pages – survive.
International airports and air carriers in Slovakia
Low-cost airline carrier SkyEurope gave Slovaks the opportunity to fly to many different destinations from two airports within the country’s border. But the airline’s collapse into bankruptcy in September 2009 has brought considerable changes to the country’s airports since SkyEurope had hubs in both Košice and Bratislava with the largest number of flight departures. Though other airline are seeking to fill the void left by the departure of SkyEurope, Vienna airport, with its short distance to Bratislava, has retained its popularity among passengers travelling from and to Slovakia.
Key developments in the real estate and construction sector
November 2008 – Construction of units 3 and 4 of the nuclear power plant of Slovenské Elektrárne in Mochovce resumed. The new nuclear reactors and auxiliary buildings should be finished in 2012 or 2013 and will cost about €2.775 billion.
Housing loans on upswing despite economic slowdown
In response to the spreading waves of the global economic downturn, which crossed the Atlantic and reached Slovakia in the third quarter of 2008, banks have toughened their lending criteria just as potential borrowers have reduced their appetite for making large purchases. But after a shaky first quarter in 2009 the mortgage market now seems to have stabilised, with homebuyers more willing to take out loans even with the uncertainties in the labour market, according to both banks and experts in the real estate market.
Letter from the Publisher
The 10th edition of of our annual Book of Lists is now out and will help you to be informed and aware of the significant players and events in Slovakia. Making the business environment and our country more transparent and intelligible remains The Slovak Spectator’s core mission. The main part of this year’s edition are the Table section, with over 1,000 state, embassy and company contacts; and the Almanac section, with an overview of the most important events of the year in the political and economic spheres.
Find your property at living.spectator.sk
Dear Readers, The Slovak Spectator is pleased to announce the launch of its new sub-site, www.living.spectator.sk, focusing on real estate. As well as a wide range of properties, user-friendly navigation and extensive photographs, the site also contains information on different regions of Slovakia, and several articles on the subject of real estate and housing. There is also a section allowing you to advertise your own property for sale or rental.
Real Estate & Construction Guide
Dear Readers,The Slovak real estate market has experienced a huge boom in the past few years and The Slovak Spectator has always tried to cover the most significant real estate-related topics.
Dear Readers
The Slovak Spectator is proud to announce that it has just published the new edition of its popular travel guide, Spectacular Slovakia.
Spectacular Slovakia 2008 on sale now
Dear Readers, The Slovak Spectator is proud to announce that it just has published the new edition of its popular travel guide, Spectacular Slovakia.
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- What abides: Giving a shit
- Slovakia’s rising stars are changing what it means to lead More articles ›
