Slovakia - Factors To Watch on Aug 5

                                
 BRATISLAVA, Aug 5 (Reuters) - Here are news stories, press
reports and events to watch which may affect Slovak financial
markets on Tuesday.
                                
 
                                
 RETAIL SALES
                                
 The Statistics Office will publish retail sales data for
June, 0700 GMT. Analysts had forecast annual growth of 7.5
percent.
                                
 
                                
 REPO TENDER
                                
 The central bank will hold its regular two-week repo tender.
                                
 
                                
 C.BANK, GOVT AT ODDS OVER PRICE REGULATION
                                
 The Slovak central bank called on the government to abandon
a bill that would allow ministries to regulate retail cost of
goods and services with the aim of preventing price jumps after
the adoption of the euro in 2009.
                                
 [ID:nL4311508] [RTRS-EUR-POL-CEN-SK]
                                
 
                                
 VOLKSWAGEN TO MOVE SLOVAKIA LINE TO BOSNIA-OFFICIAL
                                
 Volkswagen AG <VOWG.DE> plans to move an assembly line from
Slovakia to Bosnia, the director of Volkswagen's partner firm in
Bosnia said on Monday, but its main local plant in the capital
Bratislava will be unaffected.
                                
 [ID:nL4335381] [RTRS-AUT-INV-CARM-SK]
                                
 
                                
 PRESS DIGEST
                                
 -----------
                                
 GOVERNMENT AGENDA
                                
 A Slovak think-tank INEKO said the cabinet of Prime Minister
Robert Fico has so far fulfilled around 40 percent of its
promises from before the 2006 election. INEKO noted the cabinet
had not introduced lower excise taxes on fuels or higher taxes
for banks.
                                
 Sme, page 2
                                
 
                                
 MINIMUM WAGE TO RISE
                                
 The social affairs ministry has proposed to increase the
minimum wage to 9,000 crowns ($461.8), from current 8,100
crowns, effective from next January.
                                
 Sme, page 7
                                
 
                                
 HIGHER CIGARETTE PRICES
                                
 Slovak retailers are starting to sell more expensive
cigarettes as they are running out of massive stocks hoarded
before an excise tax hike at the beginning of this year. 
                                
 Sme, page 6
                                
 
                                
 LOWER DIESEL PRICES
                                
 Prices of diesel fuels will drop by 0.3 crowns per litre on
Aug. 5, due to lower prices of oil on world markets. Prices of
petrol fuels remain flat.
                                
 Pravda, page 1
                                
 
                                
 CHILD BONUSES
                                
 The social affairs ministry has proposed to introduce a
25,000 crown payment to parents for second and third-born
babies, affective from January 2009.
                                
 Pravda, page 1
                                
 
                                
 PSA HOLIDAY
                                
 The Slovak factory of French car group PSA Peugeot Citroen
<PEUP.PA> shut down production for two weeks on Aug. 4 for the
traditional summer holiday. The plant will restart production on
Aug. 19.
                                
 
                                
 INTEREST IN EURO UP
                                
 Slovaks have become more interest in topics related to the
2009 euro adoption, according to the state-sponsored web page
www.euromena.sk. A further rise in interest is expected closer
to euro adoption date.
                                
 Sme, page 7
                                
 
                                
 Reuters has not verified the media reports, nor does it
vouch for their accuracy
                                
 
                                
 News editor of the day: Peter Laca on +421 2 5341 8402; fax:
+421 2 5341 8403
                                
 E-mail: editorial@reuters.sk, peter.laca@thomsonreuters.com
                                
 
                                
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