PRAGUE, Jan 17 (Reuters) - Here are news stories, press
reports and events to watch which may affect Czech financial
markets on Monday.
ALL TIMES GMT (Czech Republic: GMT + 1 hours)
=========================ECONOMIC DATA=========================
December producer prices and November foreign trade prices
data at 0800 GMT.
Real-time economic data releases....................<ECONCZ>
Previous stories on Czech data.............[]
Overview of economic data and forecasts..........<CZ/ECON15>
Updates on CEE currencies............................[]
=============================EVENTS=============================
PRAGUE - Czech lottery company Sazka to hold a news
conference with CEO Ales Husak at 1000 GMT.
Related news: []
PRAGUE - US Deputy Finance Minister David Cohen and Czech
Deputy Foreign Minister Jiri Schneider to discuss bilateral
issues.
Related news: []
=============================TOP NEWS===========================
SAZKA TO MEET BOND HOLDERS: Czech lottery company Sazka will
meet its bondholders next week to discuss restructuring its debt
and will contest plans by a large creditor to push the firm into
insolvency, Sazka's chief executive said on Friday.
Story: [] Related news: []
* For TEXT of S&P downgrade: []
CEZ TO SELL EURO BONDS: Czech electricity producer CEZ
<> plans to tap the eurobond market again for an
approximate net 1.25 billion euros ($1.68 billion), to help
fund its pared-down investment strategy.
Story: [] Related news: []
UNIPETROL PLANS TO SHUT REFINING UNIT:Czech downstream oil
group Unipetrol's <> Paramo unit will start a temporary
shutdown for maintenance at its Pardubice refinery a month
earlier than planned, it said on Friday.
Story: [] Related news: []
CEE MARKETS: Polish 10-year bond yields briefly hit their
highest levels in 18 months on Friday as pension funds, facing
a cut in transfers of employee contributions, moved to the
sidelines.
Story: [] Related news: []
CEE POWER:Forecasts for colder temperatures and an expected
decrease in wind capacity in the region supported Czech power
for the next working day, while electricity for 2012 delivery
fell, traders said on Friday.
Story: [] Related news: []
---------------------- MARKET SNAPSHOT ------------------------
Index/Crown Currency Latest Prev Pct change Pct change
close on day in 2011
vs Euro <EURCZK=> 24,354 24,374 0,08 2,58
vs Dollar <CZK=> 18,299 18,21 -0,49 1,98
Czech Equities <> 1,242,2 1,242,2 -0,38 1,42
U.S. Equities <> 11,787,38 11,731,9 0,47 1,81
Pvs close or current levels vs prior domestic close at 1500 GMT
==========================PRESS DIGEST=========================
PLANS WITH VAT: Prime Minister Petr Necas has said for the
first time that he supported the idea of a single VAT rate at 19
percent to fund the pension reform. To offset the impact on the
poorest, Necas said he could imagine raising the level of
subsistence. The idea was first proposed by coalition partner
TOP 09. It was also proposed by an expert team assigned to work
out proposals of the pension reform. But junior coalition
partner Public Affairs rejects raising the lower VAT rate
presently at 10 percent on food items.
Necas also insists on reduction in social security tax as
part of the reform.
He said one solution to income tax would be raising the
present 15 percent rate to 19 percent while dropping the ideal
of super-gross salary, which includes the social and health
insurance payment by the employer.
Hospodarske Noviny, pages 2, 3
TEMELIN EXPANSION: Areva <CEPFi.PA> chief Anne Lauvergeon
said Areva was ready to offer CEZ <> the possibility to
invest in uranium enrichment as part of its bid for CEZ's
Temelin nuclear plan enlargement.
Mlada Fronta Dnes, page D4
Reuters has not verified the media reports, nor does it
vouch for their accuracy.
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For summary of economic data and forecasts <CZ/ECON01>
For diary of forthcoming Czech events []
For calendar of east European economic indicators []
TOP NEWS -- Emerging markets []
TOP NEWS -- Convergence watch []
For an economic indicator diary for the euro zone, the United
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E-mail: prague.newsroom@reuters.com
