EconomyOther Economy

Labour Ministry: Extension of Collective Agreement Won\'t Cause Lay-offs

Bratislava, May 21 (TASR) - The Labour, Social Affairs and the Family Ministry is convinced that the planned extension of the current Collective Agreement in engineering and electronic industry won't cause lay-offs, ministry spokesman Michal Stuska told TASR on Friday. The situation in the two sectors has been tense, with trade unions pursuing the extension of the collective… read more

Bus Drivers Plan to Go on Strike on Tuesday

Bratislava, May 21 (TASR) – Slovak bus drivers may well go on strike on Tuesday next week. According to Emil Machyna from KOVO Unions Association, speaking to TASR on Friday, if the Unions, the Slovak Bus Transport (SAD) and regional governments (VUCs) don't reach an agreement concerning benefits for employees, the drivers are ready to come out on strike. Machyna said… read more

Number of People on Unemployment Benefits Going Down

Bratislava, May 20 (TASR) - The number of people drawing unemployment benefits went down in April to 48,442, reports the state-owned insurer Socialna Poistovna (SP). This figure is the lowest since April 2009, when 47,220 people were on unemployment benefits. The number had been going up quite steadily since that time, peaking in August 2009 on 63,495 claimants. … read more

Slovak Petrol Prices Highest Among Neighbours

Bratislava, May 20 (TASR) - Slovakia has the most expensive petrol compared to its neighbours, including Austria, with Poland selling at the cheapest rates - at an average of 11 cents per litre less than in Slovakia. Diesel is cheaper only in Poland, where it sells for 4 cents less, said Tomas Novotny of internet portal natankuj.sk, citing the European Union as a source. … read more

German Chamber: Germany Has Invested €3.5 billion in Slovakia

Bratislava, May 20 (TASR) - Germany has to date invested more than €3.5 billion in Slovakia, said representatives of the Slovak-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry at its 5th annual general meeting on Wednesday. "There are 400-odd German businesses active in Slovakia, which have created 80,000 jobs," said president Erich Feix, naming car production, mechanical-… read more

Survey: One-fifth of Slovaks Worried About Their Savings in Banks

Bratislava, May 20 (TASR) - One-quarter of Slovaks trust banks and financial institutions less than they did before the economic crisis, and around one-fifth think that their savings in them aren't safe anymore, according to a Synovate survey of 1,000 bank clients carried out in 13 countries between October-December 2009. Unlike people in the rest of Central and Eastern… read more

Plans to Construct Trans-contintental Megaproject in Western Slovakia

Malacky, May 20 (TASR) - A logistics and transport megaproject involving a trans-continental transit terminal should be constructed by 2050 in the so-called golden triangle of Central European cities Vienna-Bratislava-Brno, author of the project Juraj Jancin said on Thursday. A considerable part of the water and air junction should be located near the town of Malacky… read more

Gasparovic: Energy and Auto-industry Firms Can Succed in Croatia

Bratislava, May 20 (TASR) - The energy sector and car-manufacturing industry provide scope for Slovak businessmen in Croatia, said Slovak President Ivan Gasparovic in his opening speech at a Slovak-Croatian business forum organised by the Bratislava region branch of the Slovak Trade and Business Chamber (SOPK) and the Zagreb Trade Chamber in Bratislava on Thursday. "Of… read more

Government Backed 8,467 Jobs in First Quarter of 2010

Bratislava, May 19 (TASR) - In the first quarter of this year the Government granted 1,261 applications with a total cost of €11.83 million as part of anti-crisis labour-market measures to create or maintain 8,467 jobs, reads an Economy Ministry report on the subject approved by the Government on Wednesday. 'We can claim that we're over the most difficult period, as… read more

Ministry: Crisis Had No Impact on Good Conditions for Investing in Slovakia

Bratislava, May 19 (TASR) - The economic crisis hasn't had an adverse effect on good conditions for investing in Slovakia, states a report drafted by the Economy Ministry and discussed by the Government at its session on Wednesday. 'According to the results of a survey by the European Commission in September 2009, Slovakia was the only EU country in which only 1 percent… read more

Conference: Public Debts Do Have Limits, We All See It Thanks to Crisis

Bratislava, May 18 (TASR) – The global economic recession is a "lesson " for people everywhere, and many of them have now realised that public debt can be a bottomless pit, according to Professor of Economy at the University of Geneva Victoria Curzon-Price, speaking at an international conference devoted to consolidation of public budgets in Bratislava on Tuesday. "The… read more

Deadline for Settling Financial Issues of PPP 1st Package Delayed Again

Bratislava, May 18 (TASR) - Completing financial issues concerning the construction of selected stretches of the D1 motorway within the first package of public-private partnership (PPP) has been put off again - this time until May 31, following the first postponement from April 30 to May 18, TASR learnt on Tuesday. The Slovak Transportation, Posts and Telecommunications… read more

Unemployment Fell to 12.52 percent in April

Bratislava, May 18 (TASR) - Unemployment in Slovakia dropped by 0.36 percentage points month-on-month to 12.52 percent in April 2010, the Labour, Social Affairs and the Family Centre (UPSVaR) announced on Tuesday. In an annual comparison, however, the jobless rate went up by 1.60 percentage points. "We see the main reasons for the drop in the unemployment rate… read more

EU-harmonised Inflation Stood at 0.7 percent in April

Bratislava, May 18 (TASR) - Inflation in Slovakia as measured by EU methodology increased from 0.3 percent year-on-year in March to 0.7 percent in April, the Slovak Statistics Office reported on Tuesday. Over the last 12 months, inflation has averaged 0.3 percent. In April, alcohol and tobacco prices grew most rapidly (by 7.9 percent), followed by those of healthcare… read more

Lower Regulation of Economy May Reduce Corruption

Bratislava, May 17 (TASR) - Less intense regulation of the economy could contribute to reductions in corruption, according to Marian Tupy from Washington's Cato Institute, speaking at a conference in Bratislava on Monday. According to Tupy, regulation in Slovakia is higher than in countries of Western Europe. The combination of intense redistribution of regulatory powers… read more