Slovakia - Factors To Watch on Oct 31

    BRATISLAVA, Oct 31 (Reuters) - Here are news stories, press 
reports and events to watch which may affect Slovak financial 
markets on Wednesday. 
     
    GAS, HEAT PRICES 
    End-October is the legal deadline for Slovakia's natural gas 
company SPP and the country's heating companies to submit a 
proposal on 2008 energy prices. 
     
    RATES STAY PUT AS INFLATION KEPT AT BAY 
    The Slovak central bank left interest rates on hold on 
Tuesday for the sixth month in a row, as a strong crown currency 
helped keep inflation at bay. 
    [ID:nL30490636] [RTRS-CEN-INT-PLCY-SK-LEN] 
    [ID:nL30390084] [RTRS-CEN-INT-PLCY-SK-LEN] 
     
    C.BANK CHIEF- NO VOTE ON RATE HIKE TUESDAY 
    The Slovak central bank (NBS) did not discuss any proposals 
to raise interest rates at its monthly meeting on Tuesday, 
central bank (NBS) Governor Ivan Sramko said. 
    [ID:nL30298383] [RTRS-CEN-INT-SK-LEN] 
     
    C.BANK UPDATES ECONOMIC FCASTS 
    The following are the forecasts from the Slovak central 
bank's (NBS) updated quarterly economic prognosis, announced on 
Tuesday. 
    [ID:nL30351858] [RTRS-MCE-ECI-SK-LEN] 
     
    JAN-AUG C/A GAP NARROWS Y/Y TO SKK 64.0 BLN 
    Slovakia's current account showed a preliminary deficit of 
64.0 billion crowns ($2.77 billion) in January-August, compared 
with an 86.96 billion gap in the same period of 2006, the 
central bank said on Tuesday. 
    [ID:nPRG000561] [RTRS-CEN-MMT-SK-LEN] 
     
    END-JULY FOREIGN DEBT RISES TO $38.2 BLN 
    Slovakia's gross foreign debt edged up to $38.24 billion at 
the end of July from $36.67 billion at the end of June, the 
central bank (NBS) said on Tuesday. 
    [ID:nL30415121] [RTRS-CEN-MMT-SK-LEN] 
     
    CBANK DRAINS SKK 165.2 BLN IN REPO TENDER 
    The Slovak central bank (NBS) accepted all bids in a regular 
two-week repo tender on Tuesday, draining 165.163 billion Slovak 
crowns ($7.15 billion) from the market, NBS data showed. 
    [ID:nL30304507] [RTRS-CEN-INT-MMT-SK] 
     
    PRESS DIGEST 
    ------------ 
    PENSION SYSTEM CHANGES 
    The parliament passed a draft law designed to alter the 
pension system and funnel more cash flow into the state coffers, 
as the government aims to balance bigger welfare spending with 
euro entry ambitions. 
    Sme, page 1 
     
    HEALTH CARE SYSTEM CHANGES 
    A law barring private health insurers from keeping profits 
is regarded as market-unfriendly, opinion poll conducted by 
private economic think tank M.E.S.A. 10 showed. 
    Sme, page 7 
     
    HEINEKEN TO BOOST SLOVAK INVESTMENT 
    Dutch brewer Heineken <HEIN.AS> plans to invest 500 million 
crowns ($21.61 million) next year to boost its Slovak investment 
and market share. Heineken has invested over 6 billion crown in 
Slovakia over past ten years. 
    Hospodarske Noviny, page 15 
     
    For news on upcoming events in the United States and other 
Group of Seven countries, see <G7TODAY>. 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: Martin Dokoupil on +421 2 5341 8402; 
fax: +421 2 5341 8403 
    E-mail: editorial@reuters.sk 
    Reuters Messaging: martin.dokoupil.reuters.com@reuters.net 
     
    For real-time index quotes, double click in brackets: 
    Warsaw WIG20 <.WIG20>  Budapest BUX <.BUX>  Prague PX50 
<.PX50> 
 Other related news: 
 Slovak equities      [SK-E]  E.Europe equities           [.CEE] 
 Slovak money         [SK-M]  Czech debt                  [CZ-D] 
 Slovak Indicators  [SK-ECI]  Emerging forex          [EMRG/FRX] 
 Eastern European     [EEU]   All emerging markets        [EMRG] 
 Hot stocks           [HOT]   Stock markets                [STX] 
 Market debt news     [DBT]   Forex news                   [FRX] 
 TOP NEWS -- Emerging markets                         [TOP/EMRG] 
 TOP NEWS -- Convergence watch                        [TOP/EAST] 
  
 ((Compiled by Martin Santa; Bratislava Newsroom; Email: 
editorial@reuters.sk; +421-2-5341-8402)) 
 ($1=23.14 Slovak Crown)