Slovakia - Factors To Watch on March 4

                                
 BRATISLAVA, March 4 (Reuters) - Here are news stories, press
reports and events to watch which may affect Slovak financial
markets on Wednesday.
                                
 
                                
 RETAIL SALES
                                
 Statistics Office will publish January retail sales data,
0800 GMT.
                                
 
                                
 GOVERNMENT MEETING
                                
 Government will holts its regular weekly meeting. Cabinet
will debate nomination of the National Bank of Slovakia's bank
board member.
                                
 
                                
 SLOVAK TELEKOM FY PROFIT DOWN 39 PCT ON ONE-OFFS
                                
 Slovak Telekom, a unit of Deutsche Telekom <DTEGn.DE>, said
on Tuesday its net profit dropped by 39 percent to 117 million
euros ($148 million) last year, hit by one-off effects from
2007.
                                
 [ID:nL3245647] [RTRS-PHON-TEL-SK-LEN[

                                
 
                                
 POLAND'S PGNIG EYES PIPELINE THROUGH SLOVAKIA
                                
 Poland's gas monopoly PGNiG <PGNI.WA> plans to build a
pipeline through Slovakia to connect to Austrian gas hub in
Baumgarten, a company official said on Tuesday.
                                
 [ID:nL3299068] [RTRS-OILI-ENR-SK-LEN]
                                
 
                                
 PRESS DIGEST
                                
 ------------
                                
 GAS SUPPLY
                                
 Economy Minister Lubomir Jahnatek said Slovakia was prepared
to cope with possible cut-offs in gas supply of natural gas from
Russia, without limiting households and industry consumption.
                                
 Sme, page 6
                                
 
                                
 OECD ON SLOVAKIA
                                
 Organisation of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)
said Slovakia needs to improve labour market conditions, boost
competitiveness of energy and telecommunication sectors.
                                
 Hospodarske Noviny, page 1
                                
 
                                
 POWER EXPORT FEES
                                
 State's Energy Regulator (URSO) will discard fees charged
for exporting electricity power from Slovakia abroad as of April
1. Slowing economy is decreasing dometic electricity consumption
leaving surplus of unsold capacities on the market.
                                
 Hospodarske Noviny, page 5
                                
 
                                
 VSS HALTS PRODUCTION
                                
 Steel engineering company VSS, with 700, workers has halted
production due to weak demand. The company, managed by Slovak
private equity group J&T negotiates with Unions to cut some 100
jobs.
                                
 Hospodarske Noviny, page 13
                                
 
                                
 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
                                
 For real-time index quotes, double click in brackets:
                                
 Warsaw WIG20 <.WIG20>  Budapest BUX <.BUX>  Prague PX50
<.PX50>
 Other related news:
 Slovak equities      [SK-E]  E.Europe equities           [.CEE]
 Slovak money         [SK-M]  Czech debt                  [CZ-D]
 Slovak Indicators  [SK-ECI]  Emerging forex          [EMRG/FRX]
 Eastern European     [EEU]   All emerging markets        [EMRG]
 Hot stocks           [HOT]   Stock markets                [STX]
 Market debt news     [DBT]   Forex news                   [FRX]
 TOP NEWS -- Emerging markets                         [TOP/EMRG]
 TOP NEWS -- Convergence watch                        [TOP/EAST]