OtherOther Economy

Southern Highway Likely to Show Up in New Governmentt Programme

Bratislava, June 21 (TASR) - The plans to finalise the construction of the R7 highway is likely to be included in the draft manifesto of the emerging new Slovak Government, according to Christian Democrats (KDH) Jan Figel. His party - together with three other centre-right partners (SDKU-DS, Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) and Most-Hid) - is currently trying to get acquainted… read more

Beblavy: Slovakia Should Look to Scandinavian Model for Inspiration

Bratislava, June 21 (TASR) - The manifesto of the future government should reflect the so-called Scandinavian model, SDKU-DS MP Miroslav Beblavy said at an international anti-crisis conference held in Bratislava on Monday. "The values upheld by countries like Denmark or Sweden represent our priorities - namely, improving transparency, have a modern education system, equal… read more

NBS Magazine: Housing Prices Should Begin to Fall More Slowly

Bratislava, June 21 (TASR) - The prices of flats and houses in the 'new EU-member states' will fall more slowly year-on-year in the next few months, Mikulas Car from the Slovak central bank (NBS) has written in NBS's magazine Biatec. Car noted that Slovakia was among countries that experienced a year-on-year fall in average real-estate prices in the first quarter of 2010.… read more

Analysts: Developments in Jobless Rate Uncertain

Bratislava, June 21 (TASR) - The latest data on Slovakia's unemployment rate indicate a revival in industrial production, as the jobless rate fell from 12.52 percent in April to 12.24 percent in May, analysts told TASR on Monday. The unemployment rate is predicted to continue to drop in the months ahead. "This should be partly thanks to seasonal jobs and the continuing… read more

Slovakia Elected As Vice-president of UN Human Rights Council

Geneva/Bratislava, June 21 (TASR) - Slovakia, represented by the country's Permanent Representative to the United Nations Office and other International Organisations in Geneva Fedor Rosocha, was elected as vice-president of the United Nations's Human Rights Council (UNHRC) on Monday, the press department of the Slovak Foreign Affairs Ministry told TASR on the same day.… read more

Reform to Levy System Should Take Place, But Not via Levy Bonus

Bratislava, June 21 (TASR) - Even though Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) chairman Richard Sulik declared a so-called levy bonus as one of SaS's main priorities, it isn't certain whether the party can push the measure through, according to information in the media on Monday. The levy bonus would represent a considerable reform to the levy system in Slovakia. Some reforms… read more

Unemployment Rate Drops to 12.24 percent in May

Bratislava, June 21 (TASR) - Unemployment in Slovakia stood at 12.24 percent in May, which represents a drop of 0.28 percentage points month-on-month, the Labour, Social Affairs and the Family Centre (UPSVaR) announced on Monday. A total of 375,161 job-seekers were registered at job centres in May. Even though their number was lower than in April, the same figure rose… read more

Slovakia Signs Agreement With Israel on Social Security Benefits

Bratislava, June 20 (TASR) - Slovakia and Israel signed an agreement on June 15 that is designed to ensure that citizens working in each other's countries will remain entitled to social-security benefits after returning home, it was announced several days later. Labour, Social Affairs and Family Minister Viera Tomanova, who signed the agreement with Israel's ambassador… read more

Judges Launch Petition Against Relegation of Colleague

Bratislava, June 19 (TASR) - Dozens of judges have launched a petition drive against the Supreme Court's June 7 judgement to relegate a female colleague from a regional court to a lower court, a move they view as the height of bullying and harsh treatment in a fabricated proceeding. Fifty one signatories note that the decision was orchestrated to keep Judge Anna Benesova… read more

Only Four of Eight Social Enterprises Survive

Bratislava, June 18 (TASR) - The original eight pilot social enterprises have been reduced to only four, TASR was informed by spokesman of the Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and the Family Michal Stuska on Friday. This is because the Labour Ministry cancelled contracts with the one called Arvik (in Bardejov, Presov region), that established in Revuca (Banska Bystrica… read more

Financial Conclusion of D1 Construction Likely to Be Postponed Again

Bratislava, June 18 (TASR) - The financial regime for the D1 highway construction via the public-private-partnership (PPP) project, postponed for the fourth time, now to June 30, is again very unlikely to be closed this time, according to information published by Hospodarske Noviny. This is because if the current Government fails to make the deadline, and the new centre-right… read more

Fico Won\'t Sign EU Guarantee Package Without Centre-Right Agreeing

Bratislava, June 18 (TASR) - Unless the four centre-right parties that have won a parliamentary majority and are set to govern for the next four years commit themselves to the support for the EU guarantee package designed for troubled European economies, current Finance Minister Jan Pociatek won't unblock the financial mechanism, it was announced Friday afternoon in Bratislava.… read more

Roma Association Suggests that Vote-buying Should be Criminalised

Bratislava, June 18 (TASR) - The Union of Roma in Slovakia (URS) civic association is demanding that Slovakia's Election Act be amended in a manner that beefs up the penalties ensuing from the practice known as vote-buying among the Roma, URS chairman Frantisek Tanko said in Bratislava on Friday. Tanko added that vote-buying involving thousands of votes took place in… read more

Radicova to Fico: There\'s Nothing to Talk About

Bratislava, June 18 (TASR) - Leaders of four centre-right parties - SDKU-DS, SaS, KDH and Most-Hid - will not meet Prime Minister Robert Fico, they said on Friday in response to Fico inviting them to discuss the unblocking of the European Financial Stability Facility (EFSF). "There's nothing to talk about," said SDKU-DS election leader Iveta Radicova, the hot candidate… read more

Centre-Right Govt to Sell Cargo, Airport and Small Energy Companies

Bratislava, June 18 (TASR) - The four centre-right parties in talks to form a new Cabinet agree on the need to resume the privatisation of underperforming state companies and use the proceeds to reduce public debt and kickstart new development projects. "We intend to find strategic partners for the Slovak rail freight company ZSSK Cargo and the Bratislava airport. Halting… read more