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Analysts: SR Can\'t Afford Another Violation of Eurozone Budget Rules

Bratislava, December 8 (TASR) - Slovakia can't afford to violate the eurozone budgetary rules again, as it may then face a downgrade in the country's rating and a subsequent fall in market trust, several economic analysts told TASR on Wednesday. Slovakia, which after adopting the euro in 2009 saw its debt and deficit levels exceed the so-called Growth and Stability Pact… read more

Parliament Okays 2011 Budget, Deficit to Drop to €3.81 billion (3)

Bratislava, December 8 (TASR) - Parliament voted in favour of the state budget for 2011 on Wednesday, with the deficit set to drop from this year's €4.54 billion to €3.81 billion in 2011, TASR learnt on the same day. The overall state revenues will stand at €13.15 billion, while expenditures will reach €16.96 billion in 2011. The bill was backed by 78 of… read more

Miklos: Budget Not Ideal, But Best We Could Agree On

Bratislava, December 7 (TASR) - The state budget for 2011, as drafted by the Finance Ministry, isn't ideal or flawless, admitted Finance Minister Ivan Miklos (SDKU-DS) during a debate on the budget in Parliament on Tuesday. However, it's the best proposal that the Coalition was able to come up with, he added. "Consolidation efforts representing 2.5 percent of the budget… read more

Makuch: Europe Will Survive Times of Financial Troubles

Bratislava, December 7 (TASR) - Under the current fiscal framework in Europe, the continent will survive the ongoing financial maelstrom, singling out the existing EU safety net EFSF (European Financial Stablisation Facility) as a major tool in providing shelter for Eruopean states, Slovakia's central bank (NBS) Governor Jozef Makuch told reporters in Bratislava on Tuesday.… read more

NBS: Economy Will Grow by 4.2 percent This Year

Bratislava, December 7 (TASR) - The Slovak central bank (NBS) said on Tuesday that it has slightly reduced its expectations concerning economic growth in 2010, reducing the figure from the 4.3 percent expected in September to 4.2 percent. The adjustment in the figure was caused by a higher level of imports than expected in the third quarter of 2010. According to… read more

Dzurinda: Many Votes in Parliament Are Open, MPs Aren\'t Constrained

Bratislava, December 7 (TASR) - MPs vote for many officials openly and don't feel constrained because of it, coalition SDKU-DS chairman Mikulas Dzurinda said after Parliament failed to elect a new prosecutor-general on Tuesday. Dzurinda was referring to the Coalition's plans to make the election of the prosecutor-general open after at least four coalition lawmakers in… read more

Slovakia to Raise Number of Troops in Afghanistan and Bosnia

Bratislava, December 7 (TASR) - The mandate concerning the number of Slovak soldiers serving in the ISAF operation in Afghanistan is to be increased from the current 314 to 348, states a proposal drafted by the Defence and Foreign Affairs Ministries and approved by Parliament on Tuesday. In real numbers, 299 Slovak soldiers are serving under the ISAF mission at present.… read more

Police Investigating Corruption in Prosecutor-General Election

Bratislava, December 7 (TASR) - The police are carrying out an investigation into whether corruption was involved in the vote on the new prosecutor-general in Parliament last week, Police Corps Presidium spokesperson Andrea Dobiasova told TASR on Tuesday. SME daily on Tuesday reported that at least one coalition Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) MP was offered money in exchange… read more

Hungarian Premier Viktor Orban to Visit Slovakia on December 14

Bratislava, December 6 (TASR) - Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban will pay an official visit to Bratislava on December 14, Prime Minister Iveta Radicova confirmed to TASR in an interview on Monday. The two Premiers met for the first time during the Visegrad Four (V4) summit held on July 20 in Budapest. After the summit, where Slovakia took over the one-year… read more

Mihal: British \"Levy Bonus\" Should Convince Slovaks of Its Worth

Brussels, December 6 (TASR) - Having Great Britain introduce a variation of the so-called levy bonus should silence critics in Slovakia who took potshots at the concept, arguing that no country has ever introduced such a measure within its social system yet, Labour, Social Affairs and Family Minister Jozef Mihal told TASR on Monday. Mihal spoke to TASR after he took… read more

2.5-million Investment at Hlinne Industrial Zone to Have 999 kWh Output

Hlinne, December 6 (TASR) - A new photovoltaic solar power plant will be launched into operation these days at the industrial zone in Hlinne (Presov region), built by a certain Zilina-based investor that plans to produce some one million kWh of electrical energy per year there. The investor in question, whose name is as yet undisclosed, rented the land for the power plant… read more

Lipsic: Car Owners to Be Held Accountable for Traffic Misdemeanours

Bratislava, December 6 (TASR) - Accountability when it comes to traffic misdemeanours should affect not only drivers but also car owners, Interior Minister Daniel Lipsic said at a joint press conference with his Hungarian counterpart Sandor Pinter on Monday. Lipsic reported that legislation dealing with this should be dealt with next year. Hungary already has such a law… read more

Coalition Will Obstruct Prosecutor-General Vote and Make It Open

Bratislava, December 6 (TASR) - Representatives of the four coalition parties agreed on Monday that they will obstruct the vote vis-a-vis selecting the new prosecutor-general in Parliament on Tuesday by taking away their ballot papers. They will then change legislation to make most votes in Parliament that are currently secret open in the future. "The people who voted… read more

Miskov: Authorities to Be Held Accountable for Incorrect Information

Bratislava, December 6 (TASR) - A so-called "provisionally-binding declaration" should be introduced soon to help small and medium-sized entrepreneurs, Economy Minister Juraj Miskov said after meeting representatives of the American Chamber of Commerce on Monday. A survey carried out recently by AmCham among small and medium-sized entrepreneurs indicated the need to make… read more

Slovak People Will Be Watching Their Expenses During Christmas

Bratislava, December 5 (TASR) - Slovaks will watch their expenses this Christmas, as the economic crisis has affected everybody, Ivana Setfancova from Lyoness Slovakia has told TASR pointing to poll carried recently out by the company. Despite the many discounts shops are using to lure customers before Christmas, Slovaks will spend their money prudently. According to… read more