Slovakia - Factors To Watch on May 20

                                
 BRATISLAVA, May 20 (Reuters) - Here are news stories, press
reports and events to watch which may affect Slovak financial
markets on Tuesday.
                                
 
                                
 APRIL JOBLESS DATA
                                
 The Labour Office will publish jobless data for April, 0800
GMT.
                                
 
                                
 REPO TENDER
                                
 The central bank will hold a regular two-week repo tender to
drain market liquidity.
                                
 
                                
 PARLIAMENT SESSION
                                
 The parliament will continue its May session, 0700 GMT.
                                
 
                                
 CROWN TO CLIMB AHEAD OF EURO, BUT HOW HIGH?
                                
 Now that Slovakia has landed a spot in the euro zone, the
only question left is how far its
currency will be allowed to climb.
                                
 [ID:nL16911143] [RTRS-EUR-CEN-FRX-SK]
                                
 
                                
 FIRMS SAY EURO BENEFITS OUTWEIGH DRAWBACKS
                                
 Slovakia's major exporters said on Monday that euro adoption
in January will eliminate the pain of a volatile exchange rate,
prop up pricing transparency, invigorate trade and simplify
cross-boarder deals.
                                
 [ID:nL19668015] [RTRS-DIP-POL-EUR-SK-LEN]
                                
 
                                
 CROWN EURO RATE SEEN AT 31.75 PER EURO
                                
 Slovakia will revalue its crown peg and convert the currency
to the euro at the rate of 31.75 <EURSKK=>, a stronger level
than previsouly forecast, a Reuters poll showed on Monday.
                                
 [ID:nL19932939] [RTRS-MMT-FRX-EUR-SK-LEN]
                                
 
                                
 SLOVAKIA'S PATH TO EURO ZONE ENTRY
                                
 Slovakia is preparing to negotiate with European Union
authorities the conversion rate for swapping its crowns for
euros at the beginning of next year.
                                
 [ID:nL19201750] [RTRS-EUR-POL-GVD-SK-LEN]
                                
 
                                
 CROWN RISES TO ALL-TIME HIGH 31.470 VS EURO
                                
 The Slovak crown reached an all-time high of 31.470 per euro
on Monday morning, Reuters dealing system data showed.
                                
 [ID:nL19132197] [RTRS-MMT-FRX-SK-LEN]
                                
 
                                
 PRESS DIGEST
                                
 ------------
                                
 HIGHER FUEL PRICES
                                
 Slovak diesel prices will rise again this week, by 0.6 crown
($0.029) per litre, while petrol prices will increase by 0.3
crown per litre due to higher world oil prices.
 Sme, page 8
                                
 
                                
 ROAD TOLL TENDER
                                
 Three bidders who had lost in the 20 billion crown road toll
tender will challenge the National Highway Company's decision at
the Office for Public Procurement. The winning consortium
declined to comment.
                                
 Sme, page 8
                                
 
                                
 CHRISTMAS BONUSES
                                
 A junior government party, HZDS, is considering asking the
government to double the planned Christmas bonuses to pensioners
due to planned euro adoption. The cabinet paid one-off bonuses
ranging from 1,500 to 2,000 crowns last year to poorest
pensioners and it plans a similar move this year.
                                
 Pravda, page 1
                                
 
                                
 COST OF SERVICES SEEN UP
                                
 Prices of services will rise after the planned euro adoption
in January as Slovak price levels will converge with richer
members of the euro zone, analysts said.
                                
 Hospodarske Noviny, page 1
                                
 
                                
 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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