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Kiesel Says Foreign Investors Judge Business Enviroment Positively
Sunday 21 February 2010 Zoom in | Print page
Bratislava, February 19 (TASR) - The Government's foreign investment agency SARIO, referring to criticism from various entrepreneurs' organisations such as Slovak Business Alliance (PAS) that Slovakia's business climate is deteriorating, has disagreed by saying that the country remains attractive for foreign investors.
"It is not so which I can safely confirm that foreign investors judge doing business in Slovakia positively," said SARIO director-general Juraj Kiesel.
"Evidence for that (the positive business environment) are the constant queries and discussions with settled or prospective investors at the agency, during which we have encountered no negative assessment of the Slovak business environment. Investors praise adoption of the euro, transparent taxation and qualified labour," he said.
Kiesel singled out adoption of the euro as having been key to investors during its decision-making on where to locate their investment in the region of Central and Eastern Europe. A case in point is one of the most successful investment of 2009 made by Taiwanese firm AU Optronics in Trencin when the euro, of all things, was the crucial factor in its locating choices.
Last year saw the global recession-ridden investors focus on restructuring their firms and search for internal reserves aimed at achieving more efficient manufacturing, lower manufacturing costs, introduction of modern technologies, innovation of manufacturing products and promoting their position in the market. In this light, according to Kiesel, Slovakia is very well positioned to lure in more investors.
Despite adverse effects of the economic crisis on the business environment in Slovakia, International Monetary Fund (IMF) predicts Slovakia's GDP to show the highest eurozone growth of 3.7 percent, European Commission 1.9 percent, OECD 2.0 and the National Bank of Slovakia (central bank, 3.1 percent).
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