Slovakia - Factors To Watch on April 25

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GOVERNMENT MEETING

The government will hold a regular weekly meeting. Ministers are expected to debate the framework of 2008 state budget, which will set the fiscal deficit ceiling.

PM TO ADDRESS MUNICIPALITIES

Prime Minister Robert Fico will speak at a congress of the association of Slovak municipalities.

CROWN RISE ALLOWS SLOVAK C.BANK TO CUT RATES

Slovakia's central bank cut interest rates by a quarter percentage point on Tuesday, saying a firming crown and a favourable inflation outlook had made room for a second monetary policy easing in as many months.

[ID:nL24666017] [RTRS-CEN-PLCY-INT-SK]

CBANKER SAYS BOARD VOTED 7-2 TO CUT RATES

The Slovak central bank (NBS) board voted 7-2 in favour of cutting the main two-week repo rate by 25 basis points to 4.25 percent, NBS Governor Ivan Sramko told a news conference on Tuesday.

[ID:nPRG000327] [RTRS-CEN-PLCY-INT-SK]

CBANK REJECTS SOME BIDS IN 2-WK REPO TENDER

The Slovak central bank (NBS) rejected some bids at its regular two-week repo tender on Tuesday as it continued to try and curb the strength of the crown currency.

[ID:nL24395770] [RTRS-CEN-FRX-INT-SK]

GOVT SEES LOWER FISCAL GAP IN 2008

Slovakia's public finance deficit should be 2.34 percent of GDP in 2008, keeping the country on track to adopt the euro in 2009, a government outline of next year's budget showed on Tuesday.

[ID:nL24104149] [RTRS-GVD-DBT-MCE-SK]

KIA TO DOUBLE CAPACITY AT SLOVAK ENGINE PLANT

Kia Motors will invest 110 million euros to double the capacity of its engine plant in Slovakia, Kia Motors Slovakia President In Kyu Bae said on Tuesday.

[ID:nL24169378] [RTRS-AUT-EUROPE-SK]

CBANK MARCH INTERVENTIONS HIT 1.93BLN EUROS

The Slovak central bank (NBS) said on Tuesday it had bought 1.93 billion euros in two direct interventions aimed at curbing the crown's strength in March.

[ID:nL24137251] [RTRS-CEN-MMT-FRX-SK]

END-FEB CURRENT ACCOUNT SURPLUS SKK 6.9 BLN

Slovakia's current account showed a preliminary surplus of 6.9 billion crowns ($278.3 million) at the end of February, compared with a gap of 15.98 billion a year ago, the central bank (NBS) said on Tuesday.

[ID:nPRG000328] [RTRS-MCE-ECI-CEN-SK]

END-JAN FOREIGN DEBT DROPS TO $31.3 BLN

Slovakia's gross foreign debt fell to $31.280 billion at the end of January from $32.206 billion at the end of 2006, the central bank (NBS) said on Tuesday.

[ID:nL24336398] [RTRS-MCE-ECI-CEN-SK]

SLOVAK TELEKOM TO PAY 2.0 BLN CROWNS IN DIVIDENDS

The annual shareholders meeting of Slovak Telekom approved a dividend payment worth 2 billion crowns ($80.68 million), the company said in a statement on Tuesday.

[ID:nL2450715] [RTRS-TEL-RES-SK]

PRESS DIGEST

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WAGE HIKE FOR DOCTORS

The health care ministry has proposed to raise wages of doctors and nurses by 20 percent this year, but only in state-owned hospitals.

Hospodarske Noviny, page 1

TEACHERS' SALARIES

Salaries of teachers will rise by several hundreds of crowns before summer break, the education ministry has ruled. The ministry expects teachers' salaries to rise further to match the average wage in Slovakia this year.

Pravda, 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

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