OtherOther Economy

Vietnam\'s President to Visit Slovakia This Week

Bratislava, December 14 (TASR) - President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam Nguyen Minh Triet is to begin a three-day visit in Slovakia on Wednesday, the website of Slovak President Ivan Gasparovic announced on Monday. After the visit of Chinese President Hu Jintao in June, this will be the second visit of a leader of a country with a Communist regime in Slovakia.… read more

Fair-play Alliance Criticises Justice Ministry for Bailing Out Judge

Bratislava, December 14 (TASR) - The Fair-play Alliance said on Monday it had filed a petition to the country's justice ministry asking it to order a judge in Michalovce (Kosice region) to repay the €5,000 fine the state paid on his behalf to the Constitutional Court for his tardiness in deciding on a case dating back 12 years. Zuzana Wienk, head of Fair-play, has also… read more

Another Patient Dies with Novel Flu in Banska Bystrica

Banska Bystrica, December 14 (TASR) - Another patient with the novel A(H1N1) flu has died at F.D. Roosevelt Faculty Hospital in Banska Bystrica, TASR was told by director of the hospital Jan Sulaj on Monday. This is the second case of death from the novel flu in the hospital, noted Sulaj, who added that the female patient was around 40 years old and died last week. "She… read more

Fico: Slovakia Should See Slight Economic Growth Next Year

Bratislava, December 14 (TASR) - Slovakia should renew its economic growth next year, Prime Minister Robert Fico said at a session of the Informal Economic Forum (NEF) - Economic Club on Monday. According to estimates, the growth should be slight, but one of the biggest within the EU. Fico at the same time warned about excessive optimism, as there are still many risk… read more

SOPK: 71 Percent of Entrepreneurs Think Situation Has Worsened

Bratislava, December 14 (TASR) - The development of the Slovak economy in 2010 will depend on the development of the global - but mainly the European - economy, said Slovak Trade and Industrial Chamber (SOPK) chairman Peter Mihok at a press conference in Bratislava on Monday. According to Mihok, despite the fact that the end of 2009 points to only a slight economic revival… read more

Central Bank Governor Calls for Acceleration of Fiscal Consolidation

Bratislava, December 14 (TASR) - Even though the introduction of the common European currency in Slovakia may be deemed a great success, the euro in itself is not a cure-all for economic problems, a fact which Slovak economic policymakers should realise, said the country's central bank governor Ivan Sramko at a conference marking one-year experience in using the new currency.… read more

Fico: Slovakia Adopted Euro at Ideal Time, Caught Last-Ttrain

Bratislava, December 14 (TASR) - Slovakia introduced the common European currency in an ideal moment from the political, economic and social point of view, said Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico on Monday at a press conference dedicated to Slovakia's first year's experience with the euro. "Looking at the crisis, this decision has certainly not harmed the country," said… read more

One Third of Slovak Internet Users Shop at Online Auctions

Bratislava, December 13 (TASR) - Online auctions belong among the most popular ways to buy goods and services via the internet abroad and it seems Slovak internet-users are as well becoming fond of this kind of purchase, according to a poll carried out by TNS SK agency in October and published on Sunday. The survey shows that 30.4 percent of Slovaks who also do shopping… read more

Rafaj: Duray Relying on Hungarian Lobby in His Appeal against Ruling

Bratislava, December 13 (TASR) - If ethnic-Hungarian SMK MP Miklos Duray appeals against the ruling of Slovak courts to apologise to the Slovak National Party (SNS) in Slovak – and if he is really determined to complain about violation of his rights at the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg – he must be relying on the "Hungarian lobby", SNS caucus leader Rafael… read more

Analyst: Greece\'s Financial Problems May Slow Eurozone Enlargement

Bratislava, December 13 (TASR) - Economic problems and the growing indebtedness of Greece, which is on the verge of bankruptcy, may mean that future eurozone enlargement will be slower and insistence on sustainable and undoubted meeting of the accession criteria will be stricter, TASR was told by Volksbank Slovensko analyst Vladimir Vano on Sunday. This could especially… read more

Sefcovic: Level of Literacy Among Young Readers Alarmingly Low in EU

Bratislava, December 13 (TASR) - Slovak EU Commissioner Maros Sefcovic, who is currently responsible for the sphere of education, culture, training and youth, worries about the inadequate reading-literacy level of children in Slovakia, as well as the whole of Europe, he told TASR on Sunday. "Every fourth 15-year-old European has a problem to understand what they read,… read more

Madaric: KDH Should Also Attempt to Be Alternative to SDKU-DS

(STV, December 13, 'O Pat Minut Dvanast') Opposition Christian Democrats (KDH) should attempt to find an alternative not only to the current Government but also to the opposition SDKU-DS party, governing-Coalition Smer-SD vice-chairman and Culture Minister Marek Madaric said on public-service Slovak Television's (STV) political chat-show 'O Pat Minut Dvanast' (5 Minutes… read more

Analysts: Foreign Trade Slovakia\'s Achilles Heel During Crisis

Bratislava, December 13 (TASR) - Slovakia's exports and imports have been declining since the beginning of the year due to the global economic crisis, analysts approached by TASR said on Sunday. "The demand from abroad, which used to be the driving force of the Slovak economy in past years, has become its Achilles heel during the crisis," said Postova Banka analyst Eva… read more

Meciar: HZDS Will Have a Say When Future Government Will Be Formed

(Markiza, Na Telo, December 13) After the parliamentary elections set for 2010, LS-HZDS will not only make it to Parliament but will be stronger and will decide about future ministers, said LS-HZDS chairman Vladimir Meciar on TV Markiza's politics discussion show 'Na Telo' on Sunday. Ethnic-Hungarian SMK leader Pal Csaky, also taking part in the show, expressed… read more

Economist: Slovakia\'s Change into Social and Ecological State Successful

Bratislava, December 12 (TASR) - After the radical changes in 1989, Slovakia as a nation had to decide whether to strike out on its own, chairman of the Slovak Economic Society - Independent Association of Slovak Economists (SES-NEZES) Ladislav Lysak told TASR on Saturday. According to Lysak, Slovakia had to consider at that time whether and how to break free from a double… read more