Slovakia - Factors To Watch on Nov 18

                                
 BRATISLAVA, Nov 18 (Reuters)  - Here are news stories, press
reports and events to watch which may affect Slovak financial
markets on Wednesday.
                                
 
                                
 GOVERNMENT MEETING
                                
 Government will hold its regular weekly meeting, 0900 GMT.
                                
 
                                
 SRAMKO:SIGNS ECB FORECASTS TO RISE, CALLS FOR FX UNITY
                                
 There are indications that European Central Bank staff will
upgrade their growth forecasts for the euro zone economy when
new numbers are published next month, ECB Governing Council
member Ivan Sramko said on Monday.
                                
 [ID:nWEA1199] [RTRS-CEN-ECB-PLCY-SK-LEN]
                                
 
                                
 OCT CPI DROPS TO RECORD LOWS, BELOW ZERO
                                
 Slovak EU-norm consumer prices rose by 0.2 percent on the
month in October, putting the annual inflation rate at record
low of -0.1 percent, in line with market forecasts, the
Statistics Office said on Monday.
                                
 [ID:nLG535414] [RTRS-MCE-ECI-SK-LEN]
                                
 
                                
 SLOVAKIA REVISES 2008 GDP GROWTH DOWN TO +6.2 PCT
                                
 Slovakia's Statistics Office revised, on Monday, the 2008
full-year economy growth to 6.2 percent, down from previous 6.4
percent. The country's record rise in 2007 was revised to 10.6
percent, up from original 10.4 percent.
                                
 [ID:nPRG003784] [RTRS-MCE-ECI-SK-LEN]
                                
 
                                
 SEPT INDUSTRIAL ORDERS RISE 18.7 PCT M/M
                                
 Slovakia's new industrial orders rose by 18.7 percent on the
month in September - on a seasonally adjusted basis -- and
showed its biggest increase this year, the Statistics office
said on Monday.
                                
 [ID:nLG257787] [RTRS-MCE-ECI-SK-LEN]
                                
 
======================= PRESS DIGEST =========================
                                
 
                                
 SLOVAKS BETTER PREPARED FOR GAS CRISIS
                                
 Prime Minister Robert Fico said, after meeting with his
Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, Slovakia was better prepared
for an eventual halt in gas supplies from Ukraine, thanks to new
legislation on gas storages and reverse flows from the west.
                                
 Hospodarske Noviny, page 5
                                
 
                                
 GREY ECONOMY CRACKDOWNS
                                
 Employment, Social Affairs ministry prepared a draft law
designed to strengthen crackdowns on gray economy, increasing
fines to up to 200,000 euro for employers with workers with no
contract.
                                
 Sme, page 8
                                
 
                                
 SPP LAY-OFFS
                                
 Gas monopoly SPP lay off 80, and its subsidiary Eustream
145, drivers and fire-fighters despite disagreement with
company's unions, which threatened with strike if the company
fires its workers.
                                
 Hospodarske Noviny, page 1
                                
 
                                
 SLOVNAFT REPORTS LOSS FOR JAN-SEPT PERIOD
                                
 Refinery Slovnaft <SNFT.BV>, unit of Hungary's MOL
<MOLB.BU>, reported a 19 million loss for the first nine months
of the year, compared with a net profit of 89 million euro
reported for the same period last year.
                                
 Hospodarske Noviny, page 13
                                
 
                                
 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 Santa on +421 5341 8402 fax: +421
5341 8403
E-mail: editorial@reuters.sk, martin.santa@thomsonreuters.com
Reuters Messaging: martin.santa.reuters.com@reuters.net
                                
 
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