AN INFORMATION campaign on the advantages of introducing the euro in Slovakia is to cost €4-5 million, of which the EU and Slovak taxpayers will pay about half each.
The campaign should start at the beginning of 2007 and last until the introduction of the euro in 2009.
The National Coordination Committee intends to select an agency to prepare the campaign by the end of this year.
"It seems that the impact of perceived inflation from the introduction of the euro was weaker in countries that had larger euro campaigns. Finland was best prepared for the campaign," Ivan Štefanec, the cabinet's appointee for the euro introduction, told the Hospodárske noviny daily.
However, Finland spent only €2 million on a 4-year campaign. Some new EU countries that plan to adopt the euro before Slovakia also plan to spend less on their campaigns.
"The budget for our communications campaign is approximately €1 per inhabitant, or €1.4 million in total," said Veiko Valkiainen, the spokesman of the Estonian Finance Ministry. The euro campaign in Estonia will last two years.
Slovenia plans to spend €1.7 million on its campaign.
Compiled by Marta Ďurianová from press reports
TheSlovak Spectator cannot vouch for the accuracy of the informationpresented in its Flash News postings.
