Slovakia - Factors To Watch on May 14

                                
 BRATISLAVA, May 14 (Reuters) - Here are news stories, press
reports and events to watch which may affect Slovak financial
markets on Wednesday.
                                
 
                                
 GOVERNMENT MEETING
                                
 The government will holds its regular meeting. Prime
Minister Robert Fico will not attend the cabinet meeting due to
a visit to Israel.
                                
 
                                
 APRIL CPI AT 17-MONTH HIGH ON FOOD COSTS
                                
 Food costs helped drive Slovakia's annual inflation rate to
a 17-month high in April, data showed on Tuesday, and analysts
expect price growth to accelerate further in coming months.
                                
 [ID:nL13489691] [RTRS-MCE-ECI-RET-SK-LEN]
                                
 [ID:nL1346301]  [RTRS-MCE-ECI-RET-SK]
                                
 
                                
 CROWN HITS NEW RECORD 31.645 VS EURO
                                
 The Slovak crown extended its gains and reached an all-time
high of 31.645 per euro <EURSKK=> on Tuesday as investors
expected a strong conversion rate for the country's entry to the
euro zone next year.
                                
 [ID:nL1342406] [RTRS-MMT-FRX-EUR-SK]
                                
 
                                
 CBANKER SAYS LACK OF WORKERS RISK TO GROWTH
                                
 Shortage of qualified workers is a risk to Slovakia's
economic performance and may slow down its gross domestic
product (GDP) growth in the future, central bank Governor Ivan
Sramko was quoted on Tuesday as saying.
                                
 [ID:nL13492123] [RTRS-JOB-EUR-SK-LEN]
                                
 
                                
 FOOD, FUEL STILL RISK TO EMERGING EUROPEAN PRICES
                                
 Food and fuel pushed consumer prices higher in emerging
Europe in April, but analysts said the region's central banks
could end their tightening cycle by mid-summer as the global
slowdown takes hold on growth.
                                
 [ID:nL13616998] [RTRS-PLCY-CEN-EMRG-SK]
                                
 
                                
 SLOWDOWN, PRICES SEEN DULLING EMERGING EUROPE Q1 GDP
                                
 Economic growth in emerging Europe is expected to have been
pinched in the first quarter by strong currencies, the slowdown
in the euro zone and inflation that has taken the edge off
domestic demand.
                                
 [ID:nL13143713] [RTRS-ECI-EMRG-PRE-SK]
                                
 
                                
 PRESS DIGEST
                                
 ------------
                                
 POLICE CHANGES
                                
 The new chief of police organised crime unit `plans sweeping
changes in his department. The head of the drug enforcement unit
has already left his post, and 10 more top officers should be
dismissed in the near future.
                                
 Sme, page 2
                                
 
                                
 FOOD PRICES HURT PENSIONERS
                                
 Rising food prices are increasingly hurting mainly the
pensioners. After housing expenses, food items are the second
biggest spending item for pensioners.
                                
 Pravda, page 1
                                
 
                                
 STATE AID
                                
 The year 2008 is the last of the tax break granted by the
government to Volkswagen to promote its investment. Volkswagen
saved some 15 billion crowns since 1999 thanks to the tax break.
The tax break for the U.S Steel factory will end in 2009.
                                
 Pravda, page 18
                                
 
                                
 AVERAGE WAGES
                                
 The financial sector has the highest average wage, totalling
28,500 crowns, a survey showed. The second highest paid category
was services, including information technologies, public
relations, advertisement and media, with an average wage of
28,1000 crowns.
                                
 Sme, page 6

                                
 Reuters has not verified the media reports, nor does it
vouch for their accuracy
                                
 
                                
 News editor of the day: Peter Laca, +421 2 5341 8402; fax
+421 2 5341 8403
                                
 E-mail: editorial@reuters.sk
                                
 For real-time index quotes, double click in brackets:
                                
 Warsaw WIG20 <.WIG20>  Budapest BUX <.BUX>  Prague PX50
<.PX50>
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