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Jurena: Property Disclosure Act Nothing But Marketing Political Game

(Slovak Radio, February 13, 'Sobotne dialogy') The proposed Bill on Disclosing the Origin of Property is nothing but a marketing political game to gain votes at the upcoming Parliamentary elections, said LS-HZDS MP Miroslav Jurena on Slovak Radio's weekly debate show 'Sobotne dialogy' (Saturday Dialogues) on Saturday. He added that LS-HZDS is for curbing the corruption… read more

Csaky: Government Wants To Deceive Clients of Non-Banking Institutions Again

(Slovak Radio, February 13, 'Sobotne dialogy') Ethnic-Hungarian party SMK MPs plan to compensate the clients of the non-banking institutions by submitting a new law proposal to Parliament, said SMK chairman Pal Csaky on the Slovak Radio's politics discussion programme Sobotne Dialogy ('Saturday Dialogues') on Saturday. "My colleagues are appalled by the situation...that… read more

Premier Says Slovakia Has No Finance to Compensate Non Bank Clients

Bratislava, February 12 (TASR) - Prime Minister Robert Fico said that ethnic Hungarian SMK lawmakers have tabled a bill to compensate clients of those non-bank companies declared bankrupt back in 2002 but their party was of opposite view when it was in the government under which the clients were harmed. SMK proposes to spend some €120 million for the purpose. "We simply… read more

Analyst: Cutting-off of EU Money Would Halt Slovakia\'s Growth in 2010

Bratislava, February 12 (TASR) - If the money flowing from eurofunds that is aimed at constructing infrastructure in Slovakia is cut off due to the discord between Slovak legislation and EU laws, this could crush any expectations of economic growth in Slovakia in 2010, TASR was told by Slovak Academy of Sciences (SAV) analyst Viliam Palenik on Friday. The changes in the… read more

Fico: I May Keep Pociatek as Finance Minister If Smer Wins Election

Bratislava, February 12 (TASR) - Following an inspection at the Finance Ministry on Friday, Prime Minister and Smer-SD Chairman Robert Fico suggested that he may leave minister Jan Pociatek in his post for another term if Smer forms a new government after the June 12 election. According to Fico, Pociatek has handled his responsibilities correctly over the past four years.… read more

Pociatek: 2009 Slump Better Than Projected

Bratislava, February (TASR) - Slovakia's economic slump of 4.7 percent in 2009 wasn't as bad as expected, Finance Minister Jan Pociatek said on Friday in response to the Statistics Office's flash estimate released on the same day. The Finance Ministry had until recently forecast that the economy would shrink by close to 6 percent. Its updated prognosis published earlier… read more

Fico: I\'ll Address Social Enterprises After Meeting Tomanova

Bratislava, February 12 (TASR) - Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) on Friday rejected criticism by opposition Christian Democrat (KDH) chairman Jan Figel earlier in the day of the Government's social policies, and the so-called social enterprises in particular. Figel said that taxpayers' money is being misused by the social enterprises, which were introduced by the… read more

Sulik Responds to Miklos\'s Challenge With \'Financial Strip Show\'

Bratislava, February 12 (TASR) - Non-parliamentary Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) party chairman Richard Sulik put on a "financial strip show" at a press conference on Friday in response to a challenge by SDKU-DS vice-chairman Ivan Miklos earlier this week. Miklos in his blog called on Sulik to release a list of all the donations that his party has received since it was… read more

KDH Slams Government\'s Social Policies

Bratislava, February 12 (TASR) - The opposition Christian Democrats (KDH) on Thursday slammed the social policies of Robert Fico's Government as ineffective, uneconomical and serving only the chosen few after a parliamentary session was wrapped up on Friday. KDH chairman Jan Figel attached the above epithets to the Labour Ministry's social enterprises project, which is… read more

Paska: Switzerland Inspiration for Slovakia Due to Its Prosperity

Bratislava, February 12 (TASR) - Switzerland is an inspiration for Slovakia, mainly from the point of view of its prosperity, as well as the country's perseverance in terms of social relations and growth," said Slovak Parliamentary Chairman Pavol Paska on the sidelines of a Swiss-Slovak symposium on Friday. According to Paska, bilateral relations are "good in the long… read more

Sulik: President Doing Smer\'s Bidding vis-a-vis Referendum 2009

Bratislava, February 12 (TASR) - President Ivan Gasparovic has written in reply to a letter drawn up by the Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) party, in which SaS asked whether the president is planning to have questions included in its 'Referendum 2009' initiative assessed by the country's Constitutional Court, that he will comment on the issue only after all the signature sheets… read more

SDKU: Corruption Influencing Building of Social State

Bratislava, February 12 (TASR) - According to the opposition SDKU-DS party, corruption in Slovakia is high and still growing under the Government of Prime Minister Robert Fico. "In the World Economic Forum rating we were ranked 127th out of 133 countries. Slovakia has a bigger level of corruption than some African countries, Albania and Ukraine," said Miroslav Beblavy,… read more

Former Ministry State Secretary Beblavy Joins SDKU\'s Election Slate

Bratislava, February 12 (TASR) - The main opposition SDKU-DS party on Friday presented a new name on its slate for the upcoming general election, with former state secretary of the Labour, Social Affairs and the Family Ministry Miroslav Beblavy joining the party's list of figures hoping to secure a parliamentary seat in June, TASR learnt on the same day. "He's a member… read more

Inflation Stood at 0.2 percent M-o-M and 0.4 percent Y-o-Y in January

Bratislava, February 12 (TASR) - Measured by EU methodology, consumer prices in Slovakia in January went up by 0.2 percent month-on-month and by 0.4 percent year-on-year, the Statistics Office announced on Friday. Major month-on-month price hikes were recorded in food and beverages, with prices of fruit and vegetables rising by 6.8 and 13 percent, respectively. Alcohol… read more

Quick Estimate: Slovak Economy Contracted by 4.7 percent in 2009

Bratislava, February 12 (TASR) - According to a quick estimate published by the Slovak Statistic Office on Friday, the Slovak economy contracted by 4.7 percent in 2009. In a y-o-y comparison, gross domestic product (GDP) in 2009 shrank by 2.7 percent in fixed prices and by 3 percent in current prices. In 2008, the Slovak economy expanded by 6.2 percent, but under… read more