Slovakia - Factors To Watch on April 2

                                
 BRATISLAVA, April 2 (Reuters) - Here are news stories, press
reports and events to watch which may affect Slovak financial
markets on Thursday.
                                
 
                                
 ANTI-CRISIS COUNCIL
                                
 Prime Minister Robert Fico will attend a meeting of the
government's council which will debate measures against the
impact of economic crisis 0730 GMT.
                                
 
                                
 SLOVAK 2008 FISCAL GAP BELOW PLAN, SEEN BIGGER
                                
 Slovakia's fiscal deficit was below a government target in
2008, Finance Minister Jan Pociatek said on Wednesday, but he
said the balance would worsen this year if the global economic
crisis kept deepening.
                                
 [ID:nL1695852] [RTRS-GVD-DBT-MCE-SK-LEN]
                                
 
                                
 FINANCE MINISTRY SEES BIGGER '10 FISCAL GAP
                                
 The Slovak Finance Ministry has proposed a public finance
deficit of 2.9 percent of GDP for 2010, more than the previously
planned gap of 1.6 percent, the framework of next year's fiscal
plan showed on Wednesday.
                                
 [ID:nL1671644] [RTRS-GVD-DBT-MCE-SK-LEN]
                                
 
                                
 SLOVAK '09 FISCAL GAP MAY BREACH 3 PCT/GDP-MINISTER
                                
 Slovakia could fail to keep the fiscal deficit within 3
percent of gross domestic product this year if the global
economic crisis deepens much further, Finance Minister Jan
Pociatek said on Wednesday.
                                
 [ID:nL1509763] [RTRS-GVD-DBT-MCE-SK-LEN]
                                
 
                                
 SLOVAK STATE BUDGET GAP WIDENS, OUTLOOK WORSENS
                                
 The Slovak state budget deficit widened in the first quarter
of 2009, data showed on Wednesday, as state revenue of the euro
zone newcomer takes a hit from withering economic growth at home
and abroad.
                                
 [ID:nL1197284] [RTRS-GVD-DBT-MCE-SK-LEN]
                                
 
                                
 JAN CURRENT ACCOUNT DEFICIT 425 MLN EUROS
                                
 The Slovak current account showed a preliminary deficit of
425 million euros in January, compared with a deficit of 36.4
million euro in the same period of 2008, the central bank said
on Wednesday.
                                
 [ID:nBSD000174] [RTRS-CEN-TRD-MCE-SK-LEN]
                                
 
                                
 PRESS DIGEST
                                
 ------------
                                
 CAR SCRAPPING SUBSIDY BOOST
                                
 Government approved to boost the subsidy scheme, given to
car owners who scrap vehicles older than 10 years and buy new
ones, by 22.1 million euro. Under this plan the state would pay
up to 1,000 euros alongside car retailers' 1,000 euro discount.
                                
 Sme, page 1
                                
 
                                
 BUDGET CUTS
                                
 Prime Minister Robert Fico said will ask Finance Minister
Jan Pociatek to draft a plan for further 10 percent expenditure
cuts in ministries' expenditure to tighten public finance
discipline.
                                
 Hospodarske Noviny, page 4
                                
 
                                
 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION
                                
 Miroslav Ciz, Vice-Chairman of Prime Minister Robert Fico's
Smer party, said a victory of opposition presidential candidate
Iveta Radicova would be unpleasant but would not effect party's
policies.
 Sme, page 2
                                
 
                                
 LOANS POOL
                                
 Slovakia's banks have 5 billion euro available for corporate
loans, the government and the central bank said.
                                
 Sme, page 7
                                
 
                                
 For news on upcoming events in the United States and other
Group  of Seven countries, see <G7TODAY>. For a diary of
forthcoming Slovak events, double click [SK/DIARY], and a
calendar of east European economic indicators, see [CONV/DIARY].
                                
 News editor of the day: Peter Laca on +421 2 5341 8402; fax:
.+421 2 5341 8403
                                
 E-mail: editorial@reuters.sk
                                
 Reuters Messaging: peter.laca.reuters.com@reuters.net
                                
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