Slovakia - Factors To Watch on Oct 17

...   Government will hold its regular weekly meeting, 0800 GMT. 
     
    SEPT JOBLESS DATA 
    Labour Office will release September jobless rate data, 0900 
GMT. 
     
    NO BIG NEED FOR RATE HIKE-SLOVAK CBANKER 
    Slovak EU-norm inflation has picked up more than expected 
due to food price growth, but there is no big need to tighten 
monetary conditions, central bank (NBS) board member Ludovit 
Odor said on Tuesday. 
    [ID:nL16552908] [RTRS-PLCY-CEN--SK] 
     
    SEPT CPI OFF RECORD LOW, BUT EURO ON TRACK 
    Rising food prices lifted Slovak EU-norm inflation from 
record lows in September, but analysts said interest rates would 
stay on hold as the country appeared on track to meet a key euro 
entry test. 
    [ID:nL16530233] [RTRS-MCE-ECI-SK] 
    [ID:nL16891453] [RTRS-MCE-ECI-SK] 
     
    C.BANK SAYS SEPT INFLATION ABOVE ITS FCAST 
    Slovak EU-norm inflation, running at 1.7 percent 
year-on-year, was above the central bank's (NBS) forecast in 
September mainly due to a sharper increase in food prices, the 
NBS said on Tuesday. 
    [ID:nPRG000544] [RTRS-MCE-ECI-CEN-SK] 
     
    ENEL MAY RETHINK SLOVAK INVESTMENT IF RULES CHANGE 
    Italy's Enel  could rethink its plans to invest 
$4.64 billion in Slovakia if the government intervenes in the 
free energy market, Enel's Slovak unit said on Tuesday. 
    [ID:nL16265500] [RTRS-UTIL-ELEU-ELG-SK] 
     
    CBANK DRAINS SKK 156 BLN IN REPO TENDER 
    The Slovak central bank (NBS) accepted all bids in a regular 
two-week repo tender on Tuesday, draining 156.046 billion crowns 
($6.59 billion) from the market, NBS data showed. 
    [ID:nL16362482] [RTRS-CEN-MMT-INT-SK] 
     
    PRESS DIGEST 
    ------------ 
    PENSION SYSTEM 
    Slovak ruling coalition parties have agreed on changes to 
the pension system. Parliament is expected to debate the draft 
later his month. 
    Sme, page 2 
     
    FICO MEETS GYURSCANY 
    Prime Minister Robert Fico is expected to meet his Hungary's 
counterpart Ferenc Gyurscany in Lisbon later this week, seeking 
ways to calm political tensions between Slovakia and Hungary. 
    Sme, page 2 
     
    SONY LAUNCHES PRODUCTION 
    Sony  starts mass production at its 73 million-euro 
($103.7 million) plant near the western Slovak town of Nitra. 
    Sme, page 6 
     
    HIGHWAY CONSTRUCTION 
    The government is expected to debate the transport 
ministry's plan to build 151 kilometers of highways through 
public-private partnerships. The finance ministry's analysis 
advises to cut the planned volume by 30 percent. 
    Sme, page 9 
     
    PM FICO ILL 
    Prime Minister Robert Fico was forced to scrap his program 
for an illness on Wednesday. 
    Pravda, page 4 
     
    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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 ($1=.7040 Euro) 
  

[BRATISLAVA/Reuters/Finance.cz]