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Kalinak Won\'t Consider Dismissing Police Corps President Jan Packa

Bratislava, January 12 (TASR) - Interior Minister Robert Kalinak (a Smer-SD nominee) isn't considering the dismissal of Slovak Police Corps President Jan Packa over the explosives scandal at Poprad airport (Presov region), Interior Ministry spokesman Erik Tomas told TASR on Tuesday. The reason behind Kalinak's thinking is that the Border and Foreigners Police, a member… read more

Fico: Opposition\'s Attempt to Remove Vazny Is Just Pre-election Tactics

Bratislava, January 12 (TASR) - The Opposition's attempt to file a motion for a no-confidence vote in Transport Minister Lubomir Vazny is nothing but pre-election tactics, said Prime Minister Robert Fico on Tuesday. "Once again, it's but a tactic of chaos and subversion. They have no alternative - that's the whole problem that the rightist Opposition faces," said Fico.… read more

Meciar: I Can\'t Support Act on Proving Origin of Property

Bratislava, January 12 (TASR) - LS-HZDS chairman Vladimir Meciar said on Tuesday that he won't support the proposal for an act on proving the origin of property drawn up by Prime Minister Robert Fico. "I can't raise my hand for this," said Meciar at a press conference, adding that Fico's intention to "push through his vision come-what-may only brings further shortcomings".… read more

Fico: Effects of New Toll System Will Be Close to Zero

Bratislava, January 12 (TASR) - An estimate of the effects of the introduction of the electronic road-toll system in Slovakia that was presented by representatives of the bank board of the Slovak central bank (NBS) corresponds with those of the Finance Ministry, Prime Minister Robert Fico said on Tuesday. "After we decided to reduce excise tax on diesel, the effects of… read more

President Appoints Makuch as New NBS Governor

Bratislava, January 12 (TASR) - President Ivan Gasparovic on Monday appointed Jozef Makuch to the post of governor of the Slovak central bank (NBS). Slovakia's membership of the eurozone ensures Makuch a chair in the governing council of the European Central Bank (ECB). The new governor, who is 56 years old and has been on the NBS bank board since January 2006,… read more

Meciar: Fico Wrong Not to Negotiate With Hauliers

Bratislava, January 12 (TASR) - Head of LS-HZDS Vladimir Meciar said on Tuesday that he is glad that the hauliers' protest has ended in success but criticised Prime Minister Robert Fico for refusing to meet the drivers for negotiations. "They're citizens of Slovakia and they are in a very tough situation and it's always necessary to talk to them without ultimatums," said… read more

Figel: Transparency Is Developing Only Slowly in Slovakia

Kosice, January (TASR) - Christian Democrat (KDH) chairman and former EU Commissioner Jan Figel told TASR on Tuesday that steps towards better political and financial transparency are made very slowly in Slovakia, which is shown by the sluggish progress in issues pertaining to proving the origin of property and reducing MP's immunity. "I'm sorry about this, because this… read more

Meciar: Packa Should Be Dismissed Over Explosives Scandal

Bratislava, January 12 (TASR) - The incident on January 2 in which an airport security exercise went awry and resulted in a sample of explosives being sent to Dublin in the luggage of an unwitting traveller should lead to the dismissal of Slovak Police Corps President Jan Packa, said coalition LS-HZDS party chair Vladimir Meciar at a press conference on Tuesday. "As far… read more

New Additional Method of Toll Payment Introduced for Transit Sections

Bratislava, January 12 (TASR) - Lorries as of Tuesday will be able to use a temporary alternative method of payment for using transit sections of toll roads - the so-called ticketing system, general director of toll operator SkyToll Matej Okali has said. This way of paying tolls will be available at certain transit border crossings until March 31, 2010, although toll… read more

Lajcak Discusses Case of Kidnapped Boy in Egypt

Cairo, January 11 (TASR) - Slovak Foreign Affairs Minister Miroslav Lajcak has met his Egyptian counterpart Ahmed Abul Gheit on Monday and urged him to take a look into the case of a Slovak mother whose child has been kidnapped by her Egyptian husband. "It's quite a delicate case and I'd like to use the opportunity to discuss it directly with Egyptian representatives,"… read more

Opposition Wants Transportation Minister Vazny Dismissed

Bratislava, January 11 (TASR) - Leaders of the opposition parties KDH, SDKU–DS and SMK met on Monday in Bratislava to agree on a joint initiative in summon an extraordinary parliamentary session summoned. Their proposal is focused on ultimately filing a no-devoted to voting non-confidence in Transportation Minister Lubomir Vazny. "What happened today prompted us to… read more

Habanik: Downsizing Number of Ministries Unrealistic Prior to Elections

Bratislava, January 11 (TASR) - LS-HZDS (Peoples Party-Movement For a Democratic Slovakia) can imagine supporting the proposal to lower the excise tax on fuels, a leading member of the Coalition party told TASR on Monday in Bratislava. "And we can imagine this taking place also via reducing expenses at individual ministries; but it's an issue to be tackled only after… read more

Toll System to Change, Hauliers Considering Halting Protests

Bratislava, January 11 (TASR) - After less than two weeks in operation, the newly-introduced toll-collection system will undergo changes. The tariffed road sections on the so-called first-class roads will be divided into smaller parts, which will raise their number from the current 826 to 1,068. Meanwhile, sections will be free for hauliers. That's the decision announced… read more

Analysts: Slovakia\'s Foreign Trade Now Awakening

Bratislava, January 11 (TASR) - Slovakia's high foreign trade surplus of €259.3 million reported for November 2009 was driven especially by a surprisingly fast year-on-year hike in exports (by 2.7 percent), along with a continuing lowering of imports (by 8.7 percent) on the year, TASR was told by analysts on Monday. Therefore, the country's foreign trade is reigniting,… read more

Slovakia Will Lower Excise Tax on Diesel by 9 Cents per Litre

Bratislava, January 11 (TASR) - Excise tax on diesel should drop by 9 cents per litre by the end of January. That was the message presented by Prime Minister Robert Fico at a briefing on Monday following a meeting with representatives of employers, Unions, transporters, Slovnaft refinery and the ministries of finance and transportation. "We plan to lower the excise tax… read more