Slovakia - Factors To Watch on Dec 10

...The finance ministry's Debt and Liquidity Management Agency 
(ARDAL) will auction 7-year, 4.9 percent state bonds. 
     
    LABOUR CONFERENCE 
    The head of PSA Peugeot Citroen factory in Slovakia, Jean 
Mouro, will address an economic conference on workforce shortage 
in Slovakia and central Europe, 1200 GMT. 
     
    OCT IND OUTPUT RISES ON CARS, ELECTRONICS 
    Slovak industrial output accelerated faster than expected in 
October driven mainly by key automotive and electronics 
industries, data showed on Friday, and analyst expected strong 
growth to continue. 
    [ID:nL07709956] [RTRS-MCE-ECI-AUT-CARM-SK] 
    [ID:nL07902404] [RTRS-MCE-ECI-SK] 
     
    OCT CONSTRUCTION OUTPUT UP 0.3 PCT Y/Y 
    Slovak construction output rose by a real 0.3 percent 
year-on-year in October after a 5.3 percent annual rise in 
September, the Statistics Office said on Friday. 
    [ID:nL07902660] [RTRS-MCE-ECI-SK] 
     
    CBANK FOREX RESERVES DROP TO $19.1 BLN 
    The Slovak central bank's (NBS) foreign currency reserves 
fell to $19.122 billion as of Dec. 5, from $19.267 billion a 
week ago, the bank said on Friday. 
    [ID:nL07143708] [RTRS-MMT-FRX-CEN-SK] 
     
    PRESS DIGEST 
    ------------ 
    EURO ADOPTION 
    Slovakia has a 90 percent chance to meet all criteria for 
euro adoption, Finance Minister Jan Pociatek said. 
Sustainability of inflation remains the key challenge due to 
rising food and oil prices. Pociatek also saw the real average 
wage rising by 20 percent by 2010. 
    Pravda, page 4 
     
    FICO PRIORITIES 
    Prime Minister Robert Fico said the four priorities for 2008 
will include euro adoption, keeping keep food and energy prices 
flat or lowering them, highway construction and effective use of 
EU funds. Fico also said he expected his Smer party to win the 
next parliamentary election in 2010. 
    Sme, page 1 
     
    ERM-2 PARITY 
    There is a theoretical chance that Slovakia might revalue 
the central parity of the Exchange Rate Mechanism ERM-2 one more 
time because euro zone integration treaties do not prohibit such 
a move, a central bank board member, Peter Sevcovic, said. 
    Sme, page 6 
     
    HIGHWAY CONSTRUCTION 
    The parliament is expected to vote on Tuesday on a disputed 
law allowing construction of highways on private land. 
Opposition says the draft violates the Constitution. 
    Sme, page 1 
     
    CTP INVESTMENT 
    Dutch developer CTP Invest is expected to invest some 4 
billion crowns ($175.6 million) into a industrial logistic 
center in the western town of Trencin. 
    Hospodarske Noviny, page 17 
     
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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 
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 ($1=22.78 Slovak Crown) 
  

[BRATISLAVA/Reuters/Finance.cz]