OtherOther Economy

Minister Pociatek Rejects Fears Over Aid Widening Public Finances Deficit

Bratislava, June 4 (TASR) - Finance Minister Jan Pociatek has rejected fears that the €25 million earmarked by Government earlier on Friday as an aid for the people in flood-affected areas will widen an already high public-finances deficit. "The situation is serious and we were forced to find all the available reserves, which may be tapped for this purpose," said Pociatek… read more

Analysts: Revival in Slovakia\'s Economy Caused by Foreign Demand

Bratislava, June 4 (TASR) - The GDP structure of the first three months of 2010, published by the Statistics Office on Friday, indicates that the revival in Slovakia's economy has been caused mainly by foreign demand, with domestic demand still lagging behind. "Slovakia's growth is still dependent upon the revival of the global economy in a significant way," ING Bank… read more

Fico: Government to Allocate €25 million to Tackle Effects of Floods

Bratislava, June 4 (TASR) - The Government will allocate €25 million to areas affected by the current floods, Prime Minister Robert Fico announced at an extraordinary press conference late on Friday afternoon. According to Fico, money from various resources will be immediately available, with specific allocations as early as next week set to be decided on at the extraordinary… read more

Slota Unveils Memorial to Treaty of Trianon in Komarno

Komarno, June 4 (TASR) - Slovak National Party (SNS) chairman Jan Slota unveiled a memorial to the Trianon Treaty at the Slovak-Hungarian border-crossing in Komarno (Nitra region) on Friday. The event was attended by hundreds of SNS sympathisers with national flags, with dozens of police officers keeping order. Slota in his speech stated that Hungarian politicians,… read more

Floods Worsen, Rail Link Between Bratislava and Kosice Cut

Mala Lodina, June 4 (TASR) - The weather is making life hard for the inhabitants of Mala Lodina village near Kosice, built on the drainage side of the Ruzin dam. According to mayor of the village Adriana Feckova, the access road to the village had to be cleared of eroded soil several times on Friday. "The worst thing is that a slope on the left side of the Hornad River… read more

Radicova: Smer Taking \'After Us, the Deluge\' Approach to Public Finances

Bratislava, June 4 (TASR) – The governing Smer-SD party has taken an "after us, the deluge" approach, in particular when it comes to public finances and the state budget, opposition SDKU-DS election leader Iveta Radicova told journalists on Friday. "Nobody knows what condition our public finance are in. None of us knows what the real tax incomes are. We don't know what… read more

Slovaks Will Work for State Until June 7

Bratislava, June 4 (TASR) - Slovaks will work longer for the state this year than they did in 2009, as the Tax Freedom Day has been postponed from June 3 to June 7, F.A. Hayek Foundation director Matus Posvanc said at a press conference in Bratislava on Friday. Tax Freedom day is a symbolic point of the year at which employees pay off all their taxes and deductions for… read more

Slovakia\'s Unemployment Rate Up Nearly 45 percent Y-o-Y in 1Q10

Bratislava, June 4 (TASR) - There were 407,100 unemployed people in Slovakia in the first quarter of this year, 44.9 percent higher than in 2009, the Slovak Stats Office reported on Friday. The figure for the first quarter of 2009 was 126,100 lower than that in 1Q10. The current unemployment rate stands at 15.1 percent, up 4.6 percentage points on the year. The… read more

Slovak Economy Growing Again, Gaining 4.8 percent in 1Q10

Bratislava, June 4 (TASR) - Following last year's period of slumps, Slovakia's economy grew by 4.8 percent year-on-year in the first quarter of 2010, the Slovak Stats Office reported on Friday, revising its preliminary estimate of 4.6 percent. Gross domestic product (GDP) grew by 0.8 percent quarter-on-quarter. Over the first three months this year, the Slovak economy,… read more

Jeremic: Whatever Troubles Slovakia, Troubles Serbia As Well

Bratislava, June 3 (TASR) - Serbia shouldn't be viewed as a role model when it comes to dual citizenship, as the situation that emerged in the wake of Yugoslavia's break-up in the 1990s was region-specific, Serbian Foreign Affairs Minister Vuk Jeremic said at a press conference held in Bratislava on Thursday. Jeremic said that Slovakia can count on Serbia's support in… read more

SaS: Levy Bonus Useful Tool to Clean Up Mess in Social System

Bratislava, June 3 (TASR) - Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) rejects claims that the idea of introducing a so-called 'levy bonus' isn't a serious intention, with SaS vice-chairman Jozef Mihal telling TASR on Thursday that the levy bonus would be a sound tool for bringing order to Slovakia's social system. Mihal was responding to claims made by LS-HZDS vice-chairman Jozef… read more

Fico: Slovakia Wants to Be Self-sufficient in Energy via Nuclear Power

Jaslovske Bohunice, June 3 (TASR) - If the project for the construction of a new nuclear power plant in Jaslovske Bohunice (Trnava region) is realised, Slovakia will become self-sufficient as far as energy is concerned," said Prime Minister Robert Fico at a meeting with representatives of Slovakia's Nuclear Decommissioning Company (JAVYS) and Nuclear Energy Company of Slovakia… read more

Slovakia Gets 2nd Warning from EC Over Sex Equality at Work Directive

Brussels, June 3 (TASR) - The European Commission sent a reasoned opinion to Slovakia on Thursday concerning Slovakia's failure to apply a directive on sex equality at the workplace. If Slovakia doesn't meet its commitments, it will face proceedings at the European Court of Justice. This represents the second phase of the process, as the European Commission back… read more

Gasparovic: Serbia Belongs in United Europe

Bratislava, June 3 (TASR) - Slovakia will continue to support Serbia in its integration ambitions, because it believes that Serbia belongs in the EU, President Ivan Gasparovic said at a meeting with Serbian Foreign Affairs Minister Vuk Jeremic on Thursday. "Security, solidarity and co-operation with neighbouring countries all guarantee that Serbia is well-prepared for… read more

Court Throws Out Motions of Unsuccessful Applicants to Run Emergency Units

Bratislava, June 3 (TASR) - The Bratislava Regional Court threw out eight motions of failed applicants for a licence to run medical emergency units at state hospitals who were trying to annul the selection of the Health Ministry in round one of the related tenders four years ago. The court ruled that the ministry's decisions were in line with the law. Plaintiffs… read more