OtherOther Economy

EU Commission Confirms Threat of Not Re-paying Expenses on Dodgy Tender

Brussels, June 3 (TASR-CORRESPONDENT) - The European Commission is looking into a tender announced by the Slovak Agriculture Ministry in 2006 for informatisation of the Agricultural Payment Agency (PPA) and has confirmed that it may not re-pay its portion if it is proven that the public procurement didn't take place in accordance with the valid rules. TASR has been provided… read more

Areas under Devin Castle Are Partially Flooded

Bratislava, June 3 (TASR) - The area under the Devin Castle at the confluence of the River Danube and River Morava in Bratislava is partially flooded, TASR was told by the state-run Slovak Water-management Company (SVP) on Thursday. SVP expects that the water level will continue to rise until Saturday. The road to Bratislava borough of Devin is open. The water… read more

Flood Situation Still Critical Around Spisska Nova Ves

Spisska Nova Ves, June 2 (TASR) - The flood situation around Spisska Nova Ves (Kosice region) hasn't changed, with levels of Hnilec and Hornad rivers still on the rise, Spisska Nova Ves District Office's head of crisis team Viliam Stubna said on Wednesday. Stubna added that the worst situation is in the villages of Svedlar, Mnisek nad Hnilcom, Velky Folkmar, Kojsov and… read more

Analysts: 2010 Deficit Will Reach 7.4 percent If Nothing Changes

Bratislava, June 2 (TASR) - Unless substantial measures in the area of public finances are adopted, the public-finance deficit will climb to 7.4 percent of GDP this year, according to a survey of members of the Club of Economic Analysts (KEA) that was released on Wednesday. The Government's official objective for 2010 is to cut the deficit from 6.8 percent of GDP in 2009… read more

More Flooding in Kosice Region

Kosice, June 2 (TASR) - Heavy rains have caused flooding in some parts of eastern Slovakia, putting the regional capital of Kosice on high alert and with crisis management staff at the district office calling a state of emergency across the region. "The Kosice Anti-Flood Commission and Crisis Staff meeting early on Wednesday found that water levels in smaller streams… read more

Banks Begin Lending More Despite Lingering Hangover from 2008

Bratislava, June 1 (TASR) - The ability of bank clients to pay back loans continued to deteriorate in the first quarter of 2010, according to Slovakia's central bank NBS, and yet the amount of newly-provided credit rose year-on-year. Banks approached by TASR on Tuesday largely agreed that this is the trend. NBS's figures show that the volume of defaulted housing-related… read more

SNS Plans Gathering in Komarno, Jobbik Too; Police Ready to Step In

Komarno, June 1 (TASR) - According to nationalist SNS chairman Jan Slota, on Friday, June 4 – the day of the 90th anniversary of signing the Treaty of Trianon – supporters of Hungarian extremist party Jobbik will meet in Komarno to protest against the treaty that changed the borders of central Europe. However, SNS will also come to Komarno to install a Trianon memorial,… read more

Fico: Unbelievable that After 90 Years Hungary Raises Ghosts from Past

Bratislava, June 1 (TASR) - It's unbelievable that even after 90 years some people are raising ghosts from the past, said Prime Minister Robert Fico on Tuesday in his reaction to a newly-adopted Hungarian Act on Testimony of National Cohesion, by which Hungary condemns the Treaty of Trianon. According to Fico, the new law passed by the Hungarian Parliament creates tremendous… read more

Special Rep for Western Balkans Won\'t Be Appointed for Now

Brussels/Belgrade, June 1 (TASR-CORRESPONDENT) - The European Commission denied on Tuesday that the name of the new EU special representative for the Western Balkans will be announced at a session of EU High Representatives on Wednesday. According to a Belgrade daily Novosti, two candidates have a chance of getting the post - current Slovak Foreign Affairs Minister Miroslav… read more

Business Alliance: Opposition Has Better Ideas for Business Environment

Bratislava, June 1 (TASR) - The programmes of the opposition parties include the best measures for improving the business environment in Slovakia, said executive director of the Business Alliance of Slovakia (PAS) Robert Kicina at a press conference on Tuesday. The table drawn up by PAS gives the top spot to SDKU-DS, which gained 68 points out of 100. The Christian Democrats… read more

Hanzel Hands Evidence on Smer Funding to Swedish Ambassador

Bratislava, June 1 (TASR) - Smer co-founder and former MP Bohumil Hanzel on Tuesday told TASR that he has handed in an envelope with evidence concerning the Smer funding affair to the Swedish embassy in Bratislava. Hanzel declined to say what exactly was in the envelope, however. The sme.sk website on Tuesday reported that Hanzel has submitted the materials to Swedish… read more

Budget Deficit Rose to €2.078 billion to End of May

Bratislava, June 1 (TASR) - The budget deficit increased to €2.078 billion to the end of May after standing at €1.480 billion at the end of April, the Finance Ministry reported on Monday. In May 2009, the deficit reached €832 million. The deficit for the whole of 2010 is planned to reach €3.746 billion. According to the ministry, budget revenues to May… read more

Court Announces Bankruptcy of Air Slovakia

Bratislava, June 1 (TARS) - Slovak airline Air Slovakia has gone bankrupt, Bratislava I District Court has ruled, halting the restructuring of the company and announcing bankruptcy proceedings for its property on Tuesday. The carrier has also lost its licence, as it didn't appeal against an earlier ruling by the Transport Ministry. "Therefore, the ruling came into effect… read more

Gasparovic: Revision of Trianon Dangerous and Unacceptable

Bratislava, May 31 (TASR) - The Treaty of Trianon is of historical significance for Slovakia, as it is the first document confirming the firm resolution of Slovaks to live in a new administrative unit that emerged from the erstwhile Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, reads a declaration by Slovak President Ivan Gasparovic released on Monday to mark the 90th anniversary of signing the… read more

Ethnic Hungarians Protesting Against Being Called Threat to Slovakia

Samorin, May 31 (TASR) - A non-governmental organisation called the Roundtable of Ethnic Hungarians Living In Slovakia (OSMS) protests against having a group of citizens who contribute to the intellectual and material wealth of the state labelled as "a serious security risk" to Slovakia by the Slovak Government. "We view this as a display of state disloyalty towards its… read more