Slovakia - Factors To Watch on April 9

                                
 BRATISLAVA, April 9 (Reuters) - Here are news stories, press
reports and events to watch which may affect Slovak financial
markets on Wednesday.
                                
 
                                
 MEDIA BILL
                                
 Parliament will continue the second reading of the draft
media law, 0700 GMT.
                                
 
                                
 GOVERNMENT MEETING
                                
 The government will hold its regular weekly meeting, 0800
GMT. The cabinet is expected to resume a debate on the plan to
cut the 2008 fiscal deficit.
                                
 
                                
 RETAIL SALES
                                
 The Statistics Office will publish February retail sales
data. (0700 GMT). Analysts forecast retail sales to have risen
by 9.3 percent in February.
                                
 
                                
 REAL INDUSTRIAL WAGE
                                
 The Statistics Office will publish February average
industrial wages data. (0700 GMT)
                                
 
                                
 SLOVAK PARTY SUGGESTS EU REFERENDUM IF MPS FAIL
                                
 Slovakia's Smer party, which rules in coalition, may seek a
referendum on the European Union reform treaty if parliament
rejects the document, a senior member was quoted as saying on
Tuesday.
                                
 [ID:nL08516354] [RTRS-DIP-POL-EU-SK]
                                
 
                                
 CAR SECTOR EYES WAGE GROWTH ABOVE INFLATION
                                
 Wage growth in Slovakia's key automotive industry will
accelerate and surpass inflation due to a tightening labour
market, the industry's umbrella organisation said on Tuesday.
                                
 [ID:nL08823613] [RTRS-AUT-JOB-MCE-ECI-SK]
                                
 
                                
 FEB INDUSTRIAL OUTPUT BEATS FCAST
                                
 Slovak industrial output rose by a real 11.5 percent
year-on-year in February, accelerating from revised annual
growth 8.5 percent increase in January, the Slovak Statistics
Office said on Tuesday.
                                
 [ID:nL0893571] [RTRS-MCE-ECI-SK]
                                
 
                                
 FEB CONSTRUCTION OUTPUT +13.5 PCT Y/Y
                                
 Slovak construction output rose by a real 13.5 percent
year-on-year in February after a 14.1 percent annual rise in
January, the Statistics Office said on Tuesday.
                                
 [ID:nL0859819] [RTRS-MCE-ECI-CON-SK]
                                
 
                                
 PRESS DIGEST
                                
 ------------
                                
 LISBON TREATY
                                
 Several deputies for the ethnic Hungarian SMK party have
signalled they might support the Lisbon Treaty in a
parliamentary vote. Opposition, which mostly supports the EU
treaty, has been blocking the ratification of the document to
push the government to change a media draft.
                                
 Sme, page 2
                                
 
                                
 PRIVATISATION DEALS
                                
 Power distributors ZSE and VSE, managed by E.ON Energie
<EONG.DE> and RWE Energy <RWEG.DE>, respectively, have agreed to
publish privatisation documents as requested by the European
Commission, the Slovak Economy Ministry said.
                                
 Sme, page 6
                                
 
                                
 MAIZE PRICES
                                
 Slovakia's maize prices rose by 51.2 percent on the year in
2007, to 5,476 crowns ($266.5) per tonne, from 3,620 crowns in
2006.
                                
 Sme, page 6
                                
 
                                
 BANK FEES
                                
 The finance ministry and the central bank (NBS) will monitor
development of banks' service fees before and after the planned
euro adoption to prevent excessive or unjustified hikes.
                                
 Pravda, page 17
                                
 
                                
 MOCHOVCE NUCLEAR POWER PLANT
                                
 Czech Skoda JS is interested in participating in completion
of the third and fourth blocks at the Mochovce nuclear power
plant. The consortium includes Russian Atomstroiexport, and
Slovak Enseco VUJE and Kosice Engineering Constructions.
                                
 Sme, page 6
                                
 
                                
 HIGHWAY TENDER
                                
 A consortium led by Germany's Hochtief <HOTG.DE> has
withdrawn its objection submitted to the Slovak Public
Procurement Office. The Transport Ministry has excluded the
group from a highway tender.
                                
 Pravda, page 17
                                
 
                                
 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
                                
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