Slovakia - Factors To Watch on Oct 17

    BRATISLAVA, Oct 17 (Reuters) - Here are news stories, press 
reports and events to watch which may affect Slovak financial 
markets on Tuesday. 
     
    SEPT EU-NORM INFLATION DATA 
    The Statistics Office will release EU-norm inflation data 
for September (0700 GMT). The markets expect the EU-norm 
consumer prices to be flat month-on-month in September, putting 
the annual inflation rate at 4.7 percent. 
     
    SEPT JOBLESS DATA 
    The Labour Office will release September jobless data. 
     
    PARLIAMENT STARTS REGULAR SESSION 
    Parliament will starts a regular session 1100 GMT. 
     
    PM FICO TO ADDRESS FRARMERS 
    Prime Minister Robert Fico will address an agriculture 
conference. 
     
    C.BANK TO HOLD REGULAR 2-WK REPO TENDER 
    The central bank will hold regular two-week repo tender. 
     
    CROWN RETREATS FROM HIGHS ON WEAKER REGION 
    The Slovak crown eased from record highs versus the euro on 
Monday as investors booked profits on central European markets 
after a two-week rally, dealers said. 
    [ID:nL16425013] [RTRS-MMT-FRX] 
     
    S&P SAYS SLOVAK BUDGET UNDERLINES AIM TO JOIN EUROZONE BY 
2009 
    Standard&Poor's Ratings Service said on Monday that the 
draft central state budget apporved by the government of the 
Slovak republic provided a welcom signal of the government's 
commitment toward Eurozone accession by 2009. 
    [ID:nWNA1458] [RTRS-EU-SK] 
     
    PRESS DIGEST 
    ------------ 
    FINMIN WANTS REVISED NEW EURO CRITERIA 
    Slovakia's Finance Minister Jan Pociatek wants the European 
Union to change the inflation condition for the euro adoption, 
daily Pravda quotes Pociatek as saying in the Wall Street 
Journal interview. 
    Pravda, page 9 
     
    ECONMIN EYES CHANGES TO GAS PRICES SETTING 
    Economy Minister Lubomir Jahnatek plans to change the system 
for setting gas prices to a quarterly basis from an annual 
basis, daily Pravda reports. 
    Jahnatek hope such a change would lead to lower gas prices 
but the gas utility SPP is skeptical about the result. 
    Pravda, page 1 
     
    GOVT TO FIRE CIVIL SERVANTS IN 2008 
    The government plans to sack 27 876 civil servants as part 
of its attempt to cut public administration costs, the daily 
Pravda reports. 
    Pravda, page 1 
     
    For an economic indicator diary for the euro zone, the ed 
States and other Group of Seven countries, see <G7TODAY>. For a 
diary of forthcoming Slovak events, double click [SK/DIARY], and 
for 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: reuters@editorial.sk 
    Reuters Messaging: martin.santa.reuters.com@reuters.net 
     
 For real-time index quotes, double click in brackets: 
 Warsaw WIG20 <.WIG20>  Budapest BUX <.BUX>  Prague PX50 <.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] 
 ((Bratislava Newsroom; Email: editorial@reuters.sk; 
+421-905-602-847)) 
 ($1=29.37 Slovak Crown)