Czech Republic - Factors To Watch on Jan 20

                                
 PRAGUE, Jan 20 (Reuters) - Here are news stories, press
reports and events to watch which may affect Czech financial
markets on Tuesday:
                                
 ALL TIMES GMT (Czech Republic: GMT + 1 hour)

======================== ECONOMIC DATA ========================
                                
 November retail sales data at 0800 GMT.
                                
 Real-time economic data releases....................<ECONCZ>
                                
 Previous stories on Czech data.............[CZ-RTRS-LEN-ECI]
                                
 Overview of economic data and forecasts..........<CZ/ECON15>
                                
 Updates on Czech currency.............................[CZK/]
========================= EVENTS ==============================
                                
 PRAGUE - Senate conference on Czech export policy at 0900
GMT. Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek and central bank board
member Vladimir Tomsik to take part.
                                
 Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-POL]
                                
 
=========================  NEWS =============================
                                
 MIDDLE EAST: EU foreign ministers will meet Middle East
representatives at two memtings in Brussels this week, the Czech
EU presiency said.
                                
 Story: [ID:nPRA002330] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-DIP]
                                
 
                                
 CSA SALE: The Czech government approved on Monday two-round
tender conditions for the sale of national carrier Czech
Airlines (CSA), pushing ahead with the privatisation despite a
deepening global economic crisis.
                                
 Story: [ID:nLJ564851] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-MRG]
                                
 
                                
 ECOFIN: The Czech EU presidency will propose European
finance ministers on Tuesday a plan on fiscal consolidation
following the economic crisis but an agreement may not be
possible, Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek said.
                                
 Story: [ID:nLJ665956] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-DIP]
                                
 
                                
 AFGHAN FORCE: The Czech government agreed on Monday to
slightly raise the number of troops serving in Afghanistan, a
compromise plan after the parliament rejected a proposal for a
bigger deployment last month, a spokesman said.
                                
 Story: [ID:nLJ731515] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-DIP]
 ---------------------- MARKET SNAPSHOT ------------------------
 Index/Crown Currency  Latest    Prev    Pct change   Pct change
                                
                              close   on day       in 2009
 Czech Equities  <.PX>   000.0    817.9   +0.00       -100.00
 vs Euro     <EURCZK=>  27.710   27.520   -0.69         -4.37
 vs Dollar      <CZK=>  21.282   20.651   -2.90        -14.57
 U.S. Equities  <.DJI>   8,281    8,212   +0.84        -37.57
 Pvs close or current levels vs prior domestic close at 1500

=========================PRESS DIGEST==========================
                                
 CRISIS MEASURE: Finance Minister Miroslav Kalousek said he
could imagine to cut VAT rate to 9 percent from 19 percent on
some services to relieve a faltering economy. He also said the
government has worked out a "scenario" for the state budget that
assumes 2009 growth at 1 percent, below 4.8 percent expected in
the budget as approved by parliament.
                                
 Hospodarske Noviny, page 1
                                
 
                                
 ECOFIN: Finance Minister Miroslav Kalousek will propose at
an ECOFIN meeting this week a material that says that
coordinated stimulus packages should be followed by a
coordinated consolidation of budgets.
                                
 Hospodarsle Noviny, page 20
                                
 
                                
 Reuters has not verified the media reports, nor does it
vouch for their accuracy.
                                
 
 For Instant Views of key economic data click on    [CZ/INSTANT]
 For summary of economic data and forecasts          <CZ/ECON01>
 For diary of forthcoming Czech events                [CZ/DIARY]
 For calendar of east European economic indicators  [CONV/DIARY]
 TOP NEWS -- Emerging markets                         [TOP/EMRG]
 TOP NEWS -- Convergence watch                        [TOP/EAST]

 For an economic indicator diary for the euro zone, the United
 States and other Group of Seven countries see         <G7TODAY>

 For real-time stock market index quotes click in brackets:
 Warsaw WIG20 <.WIG20>  Budapest BUX <.BUX>  Prague PX <.PX>

                                
 News editor of the day: Jan Lopatka on +420 224 190 474;
fax: +420 224 229 935
                                
 E-mail: prague.newsroom@reuters.com
                                
  (Compiled by Jason Hovet)