Slovakia - Factors To Watch on Aug 6

                                
 BRATISLAVA, Aug 6 (Reuters) - Here are news stories, press
reports and events to watch which may affect Slovak financial
markets on Wednesday.
                                
 
                                
 TRADE UNIONS ON TAX CREDIT
                                
 The Confederation of Trade Unions will hold a news
conference on the finance ministry's plan to introduce a tax
bonus for low income workers.
                                
 
                                
 JUNE RETAIL SALES +3.1 PCT Y/Y
                                
 Slovak retail sales rose much less than expected by a real
3.1 percent, year-on-year, in June, slowing from a 6.7 percent
increase in May, the Slovak Statistics Office said on Tuesday.
                                
 [ID:nPRG000932] [RTRS-MCE-ECI-RET-SK]
                                
 
                                
 PRESS DIGEST
                                
 ------------
                                
 HIGHER PENSIONS
                                
 The social affairs ministry has accepted a finance ministry
objection and will start paying higher pensions from January
2009 and not from April as originally planned.
                                
 Sme, page 1
                                
 
                                
 ARMY TENDER
                                
 The defence ministry has launched a tender to buy military
transportation planes. The ministry did not specify how many
planes it wanted to buy, or what could be the cost of the deal.
It only said it planned to buy at least two aircraft.
                                
 Sme, page 4
                                
 
                                
 MEDIA BILL
                                
 Opposition parties SDKU and the ethnic Hungarian SMK are
ready to challenge the controversial media bill at the
Constitutional Court. It is not yet clear whether the opposition
will file one joint appeal or two separate motions. Any appeal
needs support of 30 MPs in parliament.
                                
 Sme, page 2
                                
 
                                
 BASIC INCOME
                                
 The social affairs ministry has withdrawn its proposal to
raise the basic income to 5,800 crown from current 5,390 crown.
The basic income serves as the basis for calculation of social
insurance payments.
                                
 Pravda, page 1
                                
 
                                
 HIGHWAY PROJECT
                                
 Slovakia may be asked to pay 238 million crowns ($12.12
million) back to the European Union due to violation of public
procurement rules in the highway construction project in which
the EU funds were used.
                                
 Sme, page 1
                                
 
                                
 HIGHWAY DELAY
                                
 The highway connection between the capital Bratislava and
the second largest city of Kosice will not be completed by 2010
as promised by Prime Minister Robert Fico due to complicated
terrain, the National Highway Company (NDS) said. Possible dates
for completion of the highway link are 2012 or 2013.
                                
 Sme ,page 5
                                
 
                                
 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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