Slovakia - Factors To Watch on Dec 17

...INTEREST RATES SEEN FLAT 
    Slovakia's inflation slowed in November as energy price 
rises last year disappeared from the statistics, and analysts 
saw no change in interest rates as the country is on track to 
meet conditions for adopting the euro. 
    [ID:nL14532138] [RTRS-ECI-MCE-SK-LEN] 
    [ID:nL14566305] [RTRS-ECI-MCE-SK-LEN] 
     
    C.BANK SAYS NOV INFLATION ABOVE FORECAST 
    Slovak EU-norm inflation was above the central bank's (NBS) 
forecast in November mainly due to faster-than-expected increase 
in prices of food and banking services, the bank said on Friday. 
    [ID:nPRG000634] [RTRS-ECI-MCE-SK] 
     
    DEBT AGENCY CONFIRMS 2008 EUROBOND PLAN 
    Slovakia will issue a eurobond worth 1 billion euros next 
year, the finance ministry's Debt and Liquidity Management 
Agency said on Friday. 
    [ID:nL14884938] [RTRS-ISU-EUR-GVD-DBT] 
     
    TREASURY BOND ISSUANCE SCHEDULE FOR 2008 
    The Slovak finance ministry's Debt and Liquidity Management 
Agency (ARDAL) issued on Friday the schedule of treasury bonds 
issuance for 2008. 
    [ID:nL14916954] [RTRS-GVD-DBT-ISU-SK] 
     
    CBANK FOREX RESERVES DROP TO $19 BLN 
    The Slovak central bank's (NBS) foreign currency reserves 
edged down to $19.016 billion as of Dec. 12, from $19.122 
billion a week ago, the bank said on Friday. 
    [ID:nL14163364] [RTRS-CEN-MMT-SK] 
     
    PRESS DIGEST 
    ------------ 
    PPP PROJECT 
    The Transport Ministry has launched a tender to pick an 
investor for a 16 billion crown ($696.9 million) highway 
construction project through the public private partnership 
scheme. The deadline for applications is Feb. 8. 
    Sme, page 7 
     
    SPP PRIVATISATION 
    The government is expected to deliver a report on the sale 
of 49 percent in the natural gas monopoly Slovensky Plynarensky 
Priemysel (SPP) in January. The previous government sold the SPP 
stake to a consortium of Gaz de France  and E.ON Ruhrgas 
. 
    Sme, page 6 
     
    ENERGY CONTROL 
    The economy ministry seeks a legislative change to allow the 
Supreme Control Bureau supervise power maker Slovenske 
Elektrarne. 
    Sme, page 
     
    EXPORTERS' HOLIDAYS 
    Slovakia's top exporters, Volkswagen , PSA Peugeot 
Citroen , Kia Motors Corp. , Sony  
and Samsung Electronics  will halt production for one 
or two weeks due to Christmas and new-year holidays. 
    Pravda, page 1 
     
    HIGHWAY CONSTRUCTION 
    President Ivan Gasparovic said the law allowing construction 
of highways on private land, approved by the parliament last 
week, did not violate the Constitution. The opposition wants to 
challenge the law at the Constitutional Court. 
    Pravda, page 2 
     
    RISING EURO SCEPTICISIM 
    Some 52 percent of Slovaks consider euro adoption, planned 
for 2009, as a negative step, while 43 percent support the move, 
an opinion poll by Focus agency showed. In spring, 49 percent 
were in favor and 43 against adopting the single currency. 
    Hospodarske Noviny, page 19 
     
    For news on upcoming events in the United States and other 
Group  of Seven countries, see . For a diary of 
forthcoming Slovak events, double click [SK/DIARY], and a 
calendar of east European economic indicators, see [CONV/DIARY]. 
     
    News editor of the day: Peter Laca on +421 2 5341 8402; fax: 
+421 2 5341 8403 
    E-mail: editorial@reuters.sk 
    Reuters Messaging: peter.laca.reuters.com@reuters.net 
     
    For real-time index quotes, double click in brackets: 
    Warsaw WIG20   Budapest BUX   Prague PX50 
 
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 Hot stocks           [HOT]   Stock markets                [STX] 
 Market debt news     [DBT]   Forex news                   [FRX] 
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 ($1=22.96 Slovak Crown) 
  

[BRATISLAVA/Reuters/Finance.cz]