Economic news released by SITA on Friday, January 19
SE, a.s. Continues Safety Upgrade of NPP V2 Jaslovske Bohunice
Power utility Slovenske elektrarne, a.s. (SE) is planning to continue improving safety and seismic resistance of the V2 Nuclear Power Plant in Jaslovske Bohunice. According to data that the company published, on Wednesday SE, a.s. announced a public tender to select a supplier of related works. The subject of public procurement is disassembly and assembly works on facilities and technological elements that secure individual technological systems in the primary circuit of the V2 NPP. Bidders can express their interest until the end of January and the lowest total fixed price would secure success in the tender.
T-Mobile Slovensko Expects Record Results for 2006
Based on preliminary data, telecommunications company T-Mobile Slovensko achieved record results for 2006 from the viewpoint of total revenues and EBITDA, whereby it ended the year with 2.2 million customers. The share of post-paid customers increased to 44 percent of the client base, the company informed. According to estimates of T-Mobile Slovensko, its market share at the end of last year was 45 percent. Market penetration by September 30, 2006 was 87 percent when two operators on the mobile telecommunications market in Slovakia, Orange and T-Mobile together had 4.679 million customers. However, both operators are using different methodology for reporting the number of active customers, which also influences market share estimates.
One-Third of People Older than 15 Use Internet
More than one-third of Slovak citizens older than 15 use Internet, suggests a survey carried out by the marketing company TNS SK in October and November of last year on a sample of 1,081 respondents. Out of 37 percent of respondents who use Internet actively, as many as 58 percent use it in households. Less than half of Internet users use the Internet in all other places, including the workplace. Most Internet users can be found among people with university degrees, businessmen, knowledge workers, pupils and students, those between 15 and 29 and Bratislava county inhabitants. The results of the survey show that 92 percent of the Internet population uses Internet at least once a week. "Most Internet users get connected to the Internet on working days from six to nine (44.1 percent) and between nine to twelve in the morning (44.4 percent)," TNS SK in its survey.
More and More Quelle Clients Order Goods from Internet
Clients of mail order firm Quelle Slovensko, s.r.o., showed higher interest in purchasing goods through the Internet last year. The number of Internet orders went up by over 2.5 percent y/y and made up 18 percent of company's total turnover. The majority of Quelle clients still order goods by telephone, though their number went down by 8 percent y/y. Orders by telephone made up 38 percent of the total turnover. Written orders posted a slight drop y/y. Company director Rozi Pasztelyak informed that the classic forms of goods ordering dropped while the number of Internet services went up. The strategic plan of Quelle for the following period is e-commerce. The company expects a higher share of Internet orders.
Slovakia's FOREX Reserves Up USD 52.2 Mln. This Week
Slovakia's foreign exchange (FOREX) reserves increased by USD 52.2 million over the past week to USD 16.2285 billion as of January 17, 2007. Behind the growth were FOREX reserves of commercial banks that surged USD 96.1 million to USD 2.3297 billion, the NBS press department informed SITA on Friday. In contrast, the National Bank of Slovakia's (NBS) reserve assets went down USD 43.9 million in a week to USD 13.8988 billion.
Eleven Slovak Companies want to Participate in Lebanon's Restoration
Slovak companies still have a chance to plug into the restoration and reconstruction of Lebanon. The government's investment company's (SARIO) representative, Jana Murinova, said that the companies interested can enroll by January 25. SARIO registers companies according to their interest in individual projects. It will send the final proposal to Lebanon.
Slovakia's Most Frequently Counterfeited Banknote SKK 1,000
Last year 1,233 counterfeited Slovak crowns and foreign currency banknotes were detained in total in Slovakia. The number of detained counterfeit banknotes decreased more than 6 percent. Last year 726 counterfeited Slovak crown banknotes were found. "The biggest portion of the counterfeit banknotes had a nominal value of SKK 1,000," the National Bank of Slovakia (NBS) spokesman, Igor Barat, told SITA.
Slovakia's Air Passenger Transport up 46.4 Pct. in 2005
Slovakia reported the second highest increase in air passenger transport in 2005 among the 25 countries of the European Union (EU). According to the latest report of the EU Statistics Office, Eurostat, the number of transported passengers in Slovakia rose 46.4 percent to 1.583 million in 2005. Only Latvia reported a higher increase with 77.3 percent. Lithuania came third with a 44.3-percent increase, followed by Estonia (40.6 percent). On the whole, the EU consisting of 25 countries registered an 8.5-percent growth in air passenger transport. The number of transported passengers reached nearly 706 million people in 2005.
PSA Signs Collective Agreement with Employees
The management of the Trnava-based car plant PSA Peugeot Citroen Slovakia signed a collective agreement for 2007-2009 with the company's KOVO trade union representatives on Friday. "The two parties agreed on a 7-percent average wage growth this year. The company pledged itself to create a social found amounting to approximately SKK 15 million in 2007, which will be preferably used for meal benefits, health care, and recreation of employees," the head of the PSA communication department, Peter Svec, told SITA.
Money Market Once Again Closes Week in High Liquidity Surplus
No changes arose on the money market during trading on Friday. A high liquidity surplus prevails in the sector, which the central bank caused by rejecting a part of bank bids in its three consecutive sterilization repo tenders. UniBanka dealer Jozef Hempfinger stated that commercial banks deposited SKK 14.923 billion in their reserve accounts in the National Bank of Slovakia (NBS) on Friday meeting the January minimum reserve requirement on a cumulative basis at 120.73 percent. As much as SKK 36.794 billion ended up in the central bank in overnights.
Bratislava Airport will Have Two Fuel Suppliers from Spring
M.R. Stefanik Airport in Bratislava should have two suppliers of aviation fuel from this spring. An internal tender to select the second kerosene supplier is currently underway in the company. The second supplier should complete the offer of currently sole supplier, company Esso. "Our intention is to introduce competition between suppliers, which will also bring a pressure on prices," Ivana Paulinyova of the Bratislava airport's marketing department told SITA.
GTS Nextra Lowers its Share Capital By SKK 210 Mln.
BRATISLAVA, January 19, (SITA) - One of Slovakia's alternative telecommunications operators, GTS Nextra, a.s. decreased its share capital by SKK 210 million. The original share capital at SKK 1.009 billion shrank to SKK 798.5 million. "The original share capital of GTS Nextra, a.s. was set as a sum of share capitals of Aliatel Slovakia, s.r.o., GTS Slovakia, s.r.o., Nextra s.r.o. and Quadia DCT, a.s, which merged with GTS Nextra, a.s. at the end of June of last year, informed GTS Nextra finance director Marek Kottman. The reason for cutting of share capital were sufficient free resources. "The only shareholder of the company, GTS Central European Holding B.V., decided on decreasing of share capital in late December of last year," said Mr. Kottman.
FOREX MARKET: Slovak Crown at 34.58/60 SKK/EUR before End of Trading
The exchange rate of the Slovak crown against the euro stood at 34.58/34.60 SKK/EUR before the close of trading on Friday, which was approximately the opening level. CSOB Richard Brza commented that although the Slovak currency strengthened over the day towards 34.53 SKK/EUR, it later gradually returned to the opening level.
STOCK MARKET: SAX Share Index Firms 0.7 Points at the End of Week
The official share index SAX moderately firmed at the end of the week. Driven by Slovnaft refiner shares, the index rose 0.17 percent, or 0.7 points to 415.36 points. Turnover on the Bratislava Stock Exchange (BCPB) decreased from SKK 3.249 billion on Thursday to SKK 105.01 million on Friday with SKK 3.151 million in share trading.