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Fico Pledges Long-term Support for Miners in Central Slovakia
Monday 15 February 2010 Zoom in | Print page
Bratislava, February 15 (TASR) - Prime Minister Robert Fico said on Monday that his government has addressed all problems besetting the country's mining sector and thanks to its decisions mining, by and large, has stabilised.
Premier Fico, speaking after his inspection at the Ministry of Economy, said that in and around Upper Nitra there are many people tied to mining and his Government will continue to deem that activity as vital for Slovakia in economic terms, energy policy as well as social grounds.
Government has taken its most recent decisions with that in mind, he said. As far as Slovakia's electricity generation is concerned, domestic coal is of significance at least until 2020 – with a view to as far ahead as 2035, reads the Economy Ministry's proposal to extend the use of domestic coal for thermal electricity generation.
Fico also announced that intense negotiations are afoot with private comanies in Slovakia to extract siderite (spathic iron ore) in Nizna Slana. "We want siderite (mining) to revive and 600 people to thus find work ... I hope that there will soon be good news to this effect," he said.
In 2007 government approved a subsidy of some €6.07 million to modernise a related firm and reduce its energy requirements for manufacturing. The company Siderit, however, is required to invest the same sum however. In August 2008 Siderit a.s. had to end its manufacturing of iron pellets because their natural gas supply was cut off.
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