Slovakia - Factors To Watch on Nov 9

...Central Bank (NBS) Governor Ivan Sramko and Prime Minister 
Robert Fico will address a conference on Slovakia's readiness 
for euro adoption. 
     
    FOREIGN TRADE 
    The Statistics Office will release September foreign trade 
data, 0800 GMT. Analysts surveyed by Reuters expect the trade 
deficit to narrow to 3.5 billion crowns ($154.3 million) from 
7.57 billion in the previous month. 
     
    RETAIL SALES 
    The Statistics Office will release September retail sales 
data, 0800 GMT. Analysts in a Reuters survey forecast retail 
sales rise of 5.5 percent in September. 
     
    INDUSTRIAL WAGES 
    The Statistics Office will release September average 
industrial wage data, 0800 GMT. 
     
    FX RESERVES 
    The central bank (NBS) will publish its weekly foreign 
currency reserves data, 1300 GMT. 
     
    SLOVAKIA SEES NO MONETARY POLICY CHANGES IN 2007 
    The Slovak government does not expect the central bank to 
make any further changes in its main interest rate in 2007 after 
two cuts in the first half of the year, a draft of a government 
document said on Thursday. 
    [ID:nN08586438] [RTRS-POL-CEN-PLCY-SK] 
     
    SLOVAK PM SEEKS CONTROL OVER FOOD PRICES 
    Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico plans a bill to stop 
retail chains from "abusing their economic power" as part of a 
drive to tighten government control over food costs, the 
government said on Thursday. 
    [ID:nL08674693] [RTRS-POL-FOD-RET-SK] 
     
    SLOVAK INDUSTRIAL OUTPUT BEATS FORECASTS IN SEPT 
    Slovak industrial output  accelerated faster than expected 
in September as automotive and electronics sectors picked up 
speed, data showed on Thursday, and analysts saw solid growth in 
the coming months. 
    [ID:nL08696286] [RTRS-MCE-ECI-SK] 
     
    SLOVAKIA NAMES BIDDERS IN ROAD TOLL TENDER 
    The Slovak state highway administrator revealed on Thursday 
eight bidders competing in a 20 billion-crown ($881.4 million) 
tender for a new road toll system. 
    [ID:nL08895432] [RTRS-TEL-CONG-SK] 
     
    SLOVAK SEPT CONSTRUCTION OUTPUT UP 5.3 PCT Y/Y 
    Slovak construction output rose by a real 5.3 percent 
year-on-year in September after a 1.7 percent annual drop in 
August, the Statistics Office said on Thursday. 
    [ID:nL0862326] [RTRS-MCE-ECI-SK] 
     
    E.EUROPE HOUSE PRICE RISE LIKELY UNSUSTAINABLE-EBRD 
    Fast paced house price growth in post-Communist Europe is 
probably unsustainable and prices could moderate as global 
borrowing conditions become tighter, the EBRD said on Thursday. 
    [ID:nL08675858] [RTRS-INV-REA-SK] 
     
    EU EXTENDS BORDER-FREE ZONE TO 9 NEW STATES 
    Travellers will be able to drive from Riga to Rome or from 
Prague to Porto without once showing their passports after EU 
ministers agreed on Thursday to extend the bloc's border-free 
zone to nine more EU states from Dec. 21. 
    [ID:nL08880656] [RTRS-POL-EU-SK] 
     
    PRESS DIGEST 
    ------------ 
    CONTINENTAL EYES NEW PLANT 
    Germany's car part maker Continental  is 
considering siting a new rubber plant in Slovakia, Romania, 
Bulgaria or Ukraine. It plans to invest 60 million euros ($87.82 
million) in Slovakia in coming years. 
    Pravda, page 20 
     
    RWE MULLING SLOVAK PROJECT 
    German utility RWE  is mulling construction of a 
new gas-fired plant in Slovakia in co-operation with U.S. Steel 
Kosice, the Slovak unit of U.S. Steel Corp . 
    Pravda, page 21 
     
    SAMSUNG LACKS SKILLED WORKERS 
    South Korea's Samsung Electronics  is facing 
serious lack of skilled workers for its Slovak plant at 
Vodedary. 
    Hospodarske Noviny, page 3 
     
    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=22.69 Slovak Crown) 
 ($1=.6832 Euro) 
  

[BRATISLAVA/Reuters/Finance.cz]