Czech Republic - Factors To Watch on April 3

                                
 PRAGUE, April 3 (Reuters) - Here are news stories, press
reports and events to watch which may affect Czech financial
markets on Thursday:
                                
 ALL TIMES GMT (Czech Republic: GMT + 1 hours)

 ======================== ECONOMIC DATA ========================
                                
 Real-time economic data releases....................<ECONCZ>
                                
 Previous stories on Czech data.............[CZ-RTRS-LEN-ECI]
                                
 Overview of economic data and forecasts..........<CZ/ECON15>
                                
 Updates on Czech currency.............................[CZK/]
                                
 
========================= EVENTS ===============================
                                
 PRAGUE - Czech central bank governing board to hold a
regular weekly meeting. It is not scheduled to discuss monetary
policy issues.
                                
 Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-CEN]
                                
 
                                
 PRAGUE - Finance Minister Miroslav Kalousek and Deputy
Finance Ministers Ivan Fuksa, Peter Chrenko and Tomas Zidek to
hold a news conference on tax income law draft (1230 GMT).
                                
 Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-GVD]
                                
 
 PRAGUE - Developer Orco Property Group <ORCO.PA> <ORCOsp.PR>
to hold a news conference on 2007 results with Senior Vice
President Ales Vobruba (1300 GMT).
                                
 Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-RET]
                                
 
                                
 PRAGUE - European Banking & Financial Forum 2008 continues.
                                
 Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-BNK]
                                
 
========================= TOP NEWS =============================
                                
 CROWN DEAL: A planned agreement between the Czech government
and central bank on limiting the crown's firming would let the
government issue eurobonds but call for the flows to be hedged,
Deputy Finance Minister Eduard Janota said on Wednesday.
                                
 Story: [ID:nL02829252] Related news [RTRS-LEN-CZ-DBT]
                                
 
                                
 CSA SALE LAUNCHED: The Czech government launched the sale of
flagship airline CSA on Wednesday by announcing a tender for a
privatisation adviser.
                                
 Story: [ID:nL02859299] Related news [RTRS-LEN-CZ-AIR]
                                
 
================== ELSEWHERE IN NEWS ===========================
                                
 BOND SALE: The Czech Finance Ministry sold 3.11 billion
crowns ($192.7 million) worth of the 4.70 percent coupon
government bonds <CZ1001945=> <CZ15YT=RR> in the first,
competitive round of bidding at Wednesday's auction.
                                
 Story: [ID:nPRA001839] Related news [RTRS-LEN-CZ-DBT]
                                
        [ID:nPRA001840]
                                
 
                                
 TELEFONICA CFO: Telefonica O2 Czech Republic <SPTTsp.PR>
<TEF.MC> said on Wednesday Jesus Perez de Uriguen will become
its new financial director from May.
                                
 Story: [ID:nL02835281] Related news [RTRS-LEN-CZ-TEL]
                                
 
======================= PRESS DIGEST ===========================
                                
 CEZ HEDGING SUPPORTS CROWN: Czech power firm CEZ <CEZPsp.PR>
spent more than 3 billion euros overall on hedging in the second
half of 2007 and at the beginning of this year, boosting the
crown currency.
                                
 E15, page 1
                                
 
                                
 TAX REFORM: Finance Minister Miroslav Kalousek is proposing
to unify taxes and social system contributions in a single tax
rate of 40.2 percent or 50.2 percent, depending on whether
health system payments are included, from 2010.
                                
 Hospodarske Noviny, page 1
                                
 
                                
 DIVIDEND TAX: Finance Minister Miroslav Kalousek is
proposing to cancel all obligations for companies to pay taxes
from dividends. He also plans to cut the number of tax
exemptions.
                                
 Hospodarske Noviny, page 3
                                
 
                                
 CEZ WIND FARM PLANS: Czech power firm CEZ <CEZPsp.PR> has
obtained approvals for 55 wind farms with installed capacity of
up to 150 megawatts from local authorities.
                                
 Hospodarske Noviny, page 16
                                
 
                                
 CHURCH COMPENSATION: The Czech government approved on
Wednesday payment of 83 billion crowns ($5.17 billion) to
churches in compensation for property confiscated by the
communist regime. Land worth 51 billion crowns will also be
returned.
 Mlada Fronta Dnes, page 2
                                
 
                                
 Reuters has not verified the media reports, nor does it
vouch for their accuracy.
 
 For Instant Views of key economic data click on    [CZ/INSTANT]
 For summary of economic data and forecasts          <CZ/ECON01>
 For diary of forthcoming Czech events                [CZ/DIARY]
 For calendar of east European economic indicators  [CONV/DIARY]
 TOP NEWS -- Emerging markets                         [TOP/EMRG]
 TOP NEWS -- Convergence watch                        [TOP/EAST]

 For an economic indicator diary for the euro zone, the United
 States and other Group of Seven countries see         <G7TODAY>

 For real-time stock market index quotes click in brackets:
 Warsaw WIG20 <.WIG20>  Budapest BUX <.BUX>  Prague PX <.PX>

                                
 News editor of the day: Jan Lopatka on +420 224 190 477;
fax: +420 224 229 935
                                
 E-mail: prague.newsroom@reuters.com
 (Compiled by Martin Dokoupil)