OtherOther Economy

Belousovova: How Do You Know That Man on SNS Billboards Is Roma?

Bratislava, May 6 (TASR) - The man featured on the Slovak National Party's (SNS) controversial billboards doesn't have Roma but Slovak nationality, said SNS vice-chair Anna Belousovova at a press conference on Thursday, asking how SNS's critics know that he is Roma. SNS's billboards displayed a photograph of a dark-skinned bare-chested and heavily tattooed man with a… read more

Union of Roma: Vote-buying Among Roma Persists

Bratislava, May 6 (TASR) - The Union of Roma in Slovakia (URS) civil organisation has got hold of information showing that the 'buying' of Roma votes continues to be the case ahead of the June 12 general election, RUS chairman Frantisek Tanko told a press conference on Thursday. "Representatives of individual unnamed political parties are going ahead with this, offering… read more

Pociatek: Parliament Can\'t Be Ignored in Regard to Greek Bailout

Bratislava, May 6 (TASR) - Parliament can't be ignored when it comes to the issue of the loan to Greece, said Slovak Finance Minister Jan Pociatek (Smer-SD) on Thursday. Pociatek stated that Slovak MPs have to okay legislative amendments as well as the specific contracts linked to Slovakia's potential bilateral loan of €816 million to Greece. "It wasn't the Government's… read more

Jadus: Slovakia Could Become Dumping Ground of Europe

Bratislava, May 6 (TASR) - Extremely high prices for waste disposal in western countries of the European Union and the end of the transition period vis-a-vis the cross-border transport of waste next year could make Slovakia the dumping ground of Europe, warns Environment Ministry State Secretary Jaroslav Jadus (LS-HZDS). "We can't let this happen," said Jadus in an interview… read more

Advertisement Company Pastes Over Contentious SNS Billboards

Bratislava, May 5 (TASR) - Billboard company euroAWK on Wednesday expressed regret over the fact that their advertisement space presented a motif evoking racial hatred, TASR was informed by Adriana Svarcova on behalf of the company's manager Kirsten van Landenghem on the same day. According to Svarcova, euroAWK immediately pasted over the incriminating 29 billboards throughout… read more

SkyToll: Almost €38 million Collected From Road Tolls to Date

Bratislava, May 5 (TASR) - Almost €38 million has been collected in road tolls in the first four months that the toll system has been operating, TASR was told Wednesday by Lenka Lendacka from SkyToll, the company that runs the system. Electronic tolls on Slovak motorways, highways and first-class roads were introduced for vehicles weighing more than 3.5 tonnes on January… read more

Kukan: Slovakia\'s Foreign Policy Has Become too Omnidirectional

Bratislava, May 5 (TASR) - The basic orientation of Slovakia's foreign policy on all cardinal points – as described by Prime Minister Robert Fico – is misguided, former foreign affairs minister and now MEP Eduard Kukan (SDKU-DS) told TASR on Wednesday. "If we don't have our priorities defined clearly, we can hardly appear as a trustworthy partner ... because claiming… read more

Ministry: Pension System Probably Won\'t Run Into Problems Until 2015

Bratislava, May 5 (TASR) - The first pay-as-you-go pension pillar probably won't experience any significant financial difficulties until 2015, Labour, Social Affairs and the Family Ministry reacted on Wednesday to an analysis published by the Institute for Economic and Social Reforms (INEKO) earlier in the day. "The situation would be better without the impact made by… read more

Roma Initiative: Gov\'t Hasn\'t Done Anything to Resolve Roma Issue

Banska Bystrica, May 5 (TASR) - The Roma Initiative in Slovakia (RIS) is concerned about the lack of attention being paid to resolving Roma problems in Slovakia by the current Government, RIS chairman Alexander Patkolo said at a press conference in Banska Bystrica on Wednesday. Even though the three Coalition parties - Smer-SD, LS-HZDS and the Slovak National Party (SNS)… read more

Tatravagonka Launches Production of New Rail-Wagon for Russia

Trebisov, May 5 (TASR) - After last year's development and prototype manufacture - tested on Russian tracks – by the rail-wagon manufacturer Tatravagonka in Trebisov (Kosice region) has led to the launch of production of rail-freight wagons for Russian Railways on Wednesday. Tatravagonka, based in Poprad (Presov region), moved its manufacturing operation to Trebisov… read more

Pociatek: Slovakia Is Coming Out Of Crisis

Secovce, May 5 (TASR) - Data from the spring prognoses of the European Commission show that the Slovak economy might be the fastest growing economy in the EU in 2010, Slovak Finance Minister Jan Pociatek said after Wednesday's Government session in the town of Secovce (Kosice region). "All the parameters, which the EC is expecting, are in accordance with our own expectations,"… read more

Most-Híd: PPP Project Analysis a Diversionary Tactic

Bratislava, May 5 (TASR) - The analysis studying the effects of abolishing the road construction via PPP projects is nothing but a diversionary tactic on the part of the Robert Fico-led Government, as the true beneficiaries of the PPP projects are the companies close to the Coalition, Most-Hid Vice-Chair Zsolt Simon said at a press conference on Wednesday. "This material… read more

Opposition Calls for Extraordinary Session on Loan for Greece

Bratislava, May 5 (TASR) - An extraordinary parliamentary session featuring a debate on whether Slovakia should provide a loan to Greece will take place within seven days, even though Prime Minister Robert Fico has been against it. Opposition MPs Stanislav Janis (SDKU-DS) and Gyula Bardos (ethnic-Hungarian SMK) submitted 33 MPs' signatures to Parliament office on Wednesday,… read more

Vazny: PPP Projects More Advantegous Than Public Procurement

Secovce, May 5 (TASR) - Carrying on with the construction of roads via private-public partnership (PPP) projects would bring a benefit of €12 billion to Slovakia, Transport Minister Lubomir Vazny said after the Government 'away' session in Secovce (Kosice region) on Wednesday. Vazny was referring to the PPP projects analysis drawn up by Transportation Research Institute… read more

Pociatek: We\'ll Do Our Utmost to Lower Deficit to 5.5 percent This Year

Secovce, May 5 (TASR) - Lowering the public-finance deficit from 6.8 percent of GDP in 2009 to 5.5 percent this year represents quite a challenge, but the Government is determined to meet its obligations, Finance Minister Jan Pociatek (a Smer-SD nominee) said after the Government's away session in Secovce (Kosice region) on Wednesday. The European Commission doesn't expect… read more