Slovakia - Factors To Watch on April 17

...

FINANCE MINISTER TO ATTEND AN CONFERENCE

Finance Minister Jan Pociatek will attend a conference on financial management, 0700 GMT.

REGULAR TWO-WEEK REPO TENDER

The central bank (NBS) will hold its regular two-week repo tender.

LABOUR CODE NEWS CONFERENCE

Foreign chambers of commerce in Slovakia will hold a joint news conference on the labour code draft, 0900 GMT.

EBRD ENERGY CONTRACT

The EBRD will sign an agreement with Slovakia to create a credit line for energy projects, 1100 GMT.

COALITION MEETING

Leaders of the three-party ruling coaliton parties will meet to debate a new Labour Code draft, 1500 GMT.

PSA PLANS 100 MLN EURO SLOVAK INVESTMENT

PSA Peugeot Citroen will invest around 100 million euros ($135.6 million) this year and next to adapt its Slovak plant to make a new model, the factory's chief Alain Baldeyrou said on Monday.

[ID:nL1673762] [RTRS-AUT-EMRG-EU-SK]

LOW SLOVAK MARCH CPI BOOSTS RATE CUT EXPECTATIONS

Slovak EU-norm inflation remained benign in March, boosting analysts' expectations of a further monetary policy easing in the coming months.

[ID:nL16153961] [RTRS-MCE-ECI-SK]

[ID:nL1628021] [RTRS-MCE-ECI-SK]

SLOVAKIA SELLS SKK 15.97 WORTH OF 3-YR BOND

Slovakia sold 15.97 billion crowns ($648.7 million) worth of 3-year, zero-coupon state bonds in an auction on Monday, the Finance Ministry's Debt and Liquidity Management Agency said.

[ID:nL16167571] [RTRS-GVD-DBT-ISU-SK]

CROWN DRIFTS IN RANGE, EYES REPO TENDER

The Slovak crown drifted in a thin range against the euro on Monday, unmoved by PSA Peugeot Citroen's investment plans and inflation data ahead of the result of Tuesday's liquidity-draining tender, dealers said.

[ID:nL16182104] [RTRS-MMT-FRX-SK]

PRESS DIGEST

------------

KIA TO MAKE SPORTAGE MODEL IN SLOVAKIA

The South Korean car maker Kia Motors Corp. said it was preparing its Slovak plant for the Kia Sportage model's production. The plant now builds the Cee's model in Slovakia.

Hospodarske Noviny, page 13

CAR PRODUCERS SLAM LABOUR CODE DRAFT

Car makers PSA Peugeot Citroen , Kia Motors Corp. and Volkswagen criticised the new Labour Code draft prepared by the ruling party Smer of Prime Minister Robert Fico, saying such a law would become a business obstacle.

Sme, page 1

TOURISM INVESTMENTS

The government of Robert Fico is expected to boost investment into tourism infrastructure by up 900 million crowns ($36.57 million) a year until 2013.

Pravda, page 1

HEALTH CARE INSURANCE COMPANIES SLAM MINISTRY

Slovakia's health care insurance companies criticised the Health-care Minister Ivan Valentovic proposals to alter the insurance system, saying minister's plans were unconstitutional.

Sme, page 1

For news on upcoming events in the United States and other Group of Seven countries, see . 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 Budapest BUX Prague 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]

($1=24.61 Slovak Crown)