Slovakia - Factors To Watch on Sept 26

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    GOVERNMENT MEETING 
    The government will meet for a regular weekly session in the 
central Slovak town of Tisovec. The government will debate a 
plan to cut the Value Added Tax on books to 10 percent. 
     
    CBANK KEEPS RATES UNCHANGED, STAYS CAUTIOUS 
    The Slovak central bank held interest rates unchanged on 
Tuesday for the fifth month in a row saying a cautious policy 
stance was needed as inflation risks existed despite record low 
price growth in recent months. 
    [ID:nL25340105] [RTRS-CEN-PLCY-FRX-SK] 
     
    U.S. STEEL SEES SLOVAK LINE AT FULL SPEED IN 2007 
    U.S. Steel Corp.  said on Tuesday its new Slovak 
galvanising unit should reach full capacity by the end of 2007 
and that it might consider further expansion in central and 
Eastern Europe. 
    [ID:nL25762504] [SK-US-AUT-STL] 
     
    JAN-JULY C/A GAP NARROWS Y/Y TO SKK 40.5 BLN 
    Slovakia's current account showed a preliminary deficit of 
40.5 billion crowns ($1.67 billion) in January-July, compared 
with an 85.75 billion gap in the same period of 2006. 
    [ID:nBSD000031] [SK-TRD-CEN] 
     
    END-JUNE FOREIGN DEBT DROPS TO $36.7 BLN 
    Slovakia's gross foreign debt edged down to $36.67 billion 
at the end of June from $36.69 billion at the end of May, the 
central bank (NBS) said on Tuesday. 
    [ID:NL25895725] [SK-DBT-CEN] 
     
    PRESS DIGEST 
    ------------ 
    SNS BLOCKS SMER IN EUROPE 
    The far-right Slovak National Party (SNS) remains the 
barrier for acceptance of Prime Minister Robert Fico's Smer 
party within the Party of European Socialists, especially after 
SNS leader Jan Slota has recently made fresh harsh comments 
against leaders of ethnic Hungarians in Slovakia. 
    Pravda, page 1 
     
    VAT ON BOOKS 
    The government will debate a proposal to cut the value added 
tax on books at its regular meeting on Wednesday. Book shops and 
publishers do not expect the lower VAT to reduce prices of 
books. 
    Pravda, page 4 
     
    PENSION GUARANTEES 
    Deputies do not yet know any details about a proposal by the 
junior ruling coalition partner, HZDS, to create a fourth 
pension system pillar in which money saved by people would be 
guaranteed by state assets. Some members of parliament said HZDS 
leader, Vladimir Meciar, had referred to a previous proposal to 
force pension managers to create a fully guaranteed fund. 
    Sme, page 7 
     
    GAS TALKS 
    Slovakia is likely to pay more for natural gas from next 
year as Russian gas producer Gazprom is demanding a 10 percent 
price rise. Slovak gas monopoy SPP declined to comment on the 
talks with Gazprom. A 10 percent price hike would mean a similar 
increase in prices for households. 
    Hospodarske Noviny, 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 
 
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 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=23.98 Slovak Crown) 
 ($1=.7087 Euro)