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KDH: Government\'s Social Policy Is Harmful, Tomanova Should Go

Bratislava, March 25 (TASR) - The Government under the leadership of Prime Minister Robert Fico is damaging the country, said Christian Democratic Movement (KDH) chairman Jan Figel at a press conference in Bratislava on Thursday. "The social policy of the current Government is harmful for Slovakia in some of its measures," said Figel. According to KDH, there are… read more

SMK: Boosting Slovak Language Education Shouldn\'t Be Up to Politicians

Bratislava, March 25 (TASR) - Boosting the quality of Slovak language education at minority-language schools shouldn't be up to politicians and parties, as this is the worst possible way of tackling the issue, ethnic-Hungarian SMK party vice-chair Laszlo Szigeti told a press conference on Thursday. The issue should be dealt with by experts instead, added the former education… read more

NBS: Analysts Expect That Slovak Economy Has Grown by 4% in 1Q10

Bratislava, March 25 (TASR) - Slovakia's economy has grown by 4 percent year-on-year in the first quarter of 2010, according to the latest macroeconomic predictions drawn up by selected commercial banks and released by Slovakia's central bank (NBS) on Thursday. As regards the whole of 2010, the analysts foresee 2.6-percent growth, with their expectations remaining unchanged… read more

Japanese Firms Now Own Emission Quotas Purchased by Interblue

Bratislava, March 24 (TASR) - The carbon-dioxide emission quotas sold by Slovakia to the Interblue Group have ended up in possession of four Japanese companies. It's obvious from what former Interblue Group project manager Rastislav Bilas said at a press conference on Wednesday. According to Bilas, the purchased quotas were re-sold to another party at approximately €8… read more

Urbani Leads \'Small Party\' Leaders in Condemning Fico\'s Tip to Voters

Bratislava, March 24 (TASR) - Slovakia's tiny political parties hoping to enter parliament after the June 12 election cry foul against what they see as discrimination by the media offering them not enough time to present their programmes and most recently the PM Robert Fico's urging the electorate not to vote for the parties scoring under 5-percent support in public opinion… read more

Police Capture Illegal Ukrainian and Vietnamese Immigrants

Bratislava, March 24 (TASR) - The Slovak foreigner police caught five Ukrainian men with no residence permit or Slovak work permit during Tuesday's crackdown, Lucia Garajova from the Interior Ministry's communication department told TASR on Wednesday. Slovakia's Foreign Police also captured four other men along with three women from Ukraine and one Vietnamese man, who… read more

Slovakia to be Presented at TUR Goteborg Expo

Bratislava, March 24 (TASR) - The Slovak Tourism Agency (SACR), spas and travel agencies will present Slovakia at the biggest Scandinavian tourism exposition TUR Goteborg 2010, TASR learned from Slovak ambassador to Sweden Peter Kmec on Wednesday. The first two days of the four-day expo, set to begin on March 25, will focus on work and business meetings, conferences and… read more

Madaric: Thriving Tourism Could Employ 200,000 People

Stara Lubovna, March 24 (TASR) - If tourism really started to thrive in Slovakia, it would have the potential to employ 200,000 people, which is a great challenge, said Slovak Culture Minister Marek Madaric (Smer-SD) after the Government session in Stara Lubovna (Presov region) on Wednesday. "We're aware of the great potential of tourism, as well as of its problems. We… read more

Government Allocates €14 million to Social Service Providers

Stara Lubovna, March 24 (TASR) - Public and private providers of social services will receive almost €14 million from the state as compensation for providing them, Prime Minister Robert Fico announced after the Government session in Stara Lubovna (Presov region) on Wednesday. The regions will be given €6.4 million to finance social services provided by public providers.… read more

Civil Association: Gov\'t Should Sell Cars to Complete Winter Stadium

Stara Lubovna, March 24 (TASR) - Dozens of members of Stara Lubovna Civil Association (Presov region) gathered outside the town's district office on Wednesday to ask the Government, which was holding its regular policy session there this week, for funds to complete the local winter stadium, left unfinished for 25 years now. "The sale of the fancy cars that drove the government… read more

SDKU: We Want Better Conditions for Mothers on Maternity Leave

Bratislava, March 24 (TASR) - The opposition SDKU-DS party will press for better conditions for mothers on maternity leave as part of the manifesto for the June 12 general election that it intends to unveil on Saturday, it emerged following a meeting between SDKU and representatives of municipalities and NGOs on Wednesday. "We need to do away with discrimination against… read more

Gov\'t: Presov Region to Receive Over €2.8 million for Various Projects

Stara Lubovna, March 24 (TASR) - Districts in Presov region will receive €2.866 million from the state for their development, it was announced after the Government session held in Stara Lubovna (Presov region) on Wednesday. The largest individual amount - €1 million - will be allocated to the reconstruction of a sports arena in Stara Lubovna that was built at the… read more

Almost All Volkswagen Cars Made in Slovakia in 2009 Were Exported

Bratislava, March 24 (TASR) - German car-maker Volkswagen's Slovak unit said on Wednesday that sales abroad (totalling €2.93 billion) accounted for 98.7 percent of its total output in 2009. The company exports mainly to European Union countries, with orders from Germany making up 39.5 percent last year. Purchases from China accounted for 13.2 percent, while… read more

President Signs Law Enabling Restituents to Get Money Instead of Land

Bratislava, March 24 (TASR) - The Slovak Land Fund (SPF) will be able to offer restituents money instead of land, according to an amendment to the law on adjusting property rights to land and other agricultural property that was signed by President Ivan Gasparovic on Wednesday. According to the previous law, if SPF wasn't able to return the same piece of land that a restituent… read more

Fico: \'Europe 2020\' Must Set Goals Aimed at Growth and Employment

Bratislava, March 23 (TASR) - At the upcoming EU summit held in Brussels this week, Slovakia will pursue the idea of reducing the number of aims included in the new EU strategy entitled Europe 2020, said Prime Minister Robert Fico on Tuesday. According to Fico, the reason behind this initiative is that the objectives stated in the strategy should more properly reflect… read more