Slovakia - Factors To Watch on Oct 23

    BRATISLAVA, Oct 23 (Reuters) - Here are news stories, press 
reports and events to watch which may affect Slovak financial 
markets on Monday. 
     
    C.BANK CHIEF SEES NEED FOR TIGHTER POLICY 
    The Slovak central bank sees the need to further tighten 
monetary policy in order to curb inflationary pressures but the 
country is on its way to join the euro in 2009 as planned, 
Governor Ivan Sramko said on Friday. 
    [ID:nL20538748] [RTRS-MMT-CEN-PLCY] 
     
    SKK MAY ENTER EURO NEAR MARKET RATE-CBANKER 
    The conversion rate of the Slovak crown into the euro may be 
close to market levels if the rate is stable at the time of euro 
entry talks, Slovak central bank chief Ivan Sramko said on 
Friday. 
    [ID:nPRA000984] [RTRS-FRX-EUR] 
     
    BANKS,MINISTER AT ODDS OVER ANALYST COMMENTS 
    Slovakia's Tatra Banka, owned by Austria's Raiffeisen 
<RIBH.VI>, on Friday criticised comments by Agriculture Minister 
Miroslav Jurena who called on farmers to boycott the bank and a 
local arm of ING <ING.AS> bank because of comments by their 
analysts. 
    [ID:nL20509727] [RTRS-BNK-POL] 
     
    CROWN DROPS FROM HIGHS, MORE FIRMING SEEN 
    The Slovak crown <EURSKK=> hit an all-time high against the 
euro on Friday but quickly eased back as investors booked 
profits from its firming over the past week, dealers said. 
    [ID:nL20615658] [RTRS-MMT-FRX] 
     
    CONTINENTAL WANTS TO ACQUIRE SLOVAKIAN FIRM-PAPER 
    German tyre and car parts maker Continental <CONG.DE> wants 
to buy a majority of Slovakian tyre maker Matador <MATDb.BV> for 
almost 150 million euros ($189 million), a German newspaper 
reported on Saturday. 
    [ID:nL20683439] [RTRS-MRG-MAC-IND] 
     
    PRESS DIGEST 
    ------------ 
    MONETARY TIGHTENING AIMED AT SECURING EURO GOAL 
    The central bank's monetary policy tightening is aimed at 
lowering inflation and is in line with the euro adoption 
strategy, the daily Sme quotes Finance Minster Jan Pociatek as 
saying. 
    Sme, page 6 
     
    TAX CHANGES ISSUE FOR COALITION DEBATE 
    A junior ruling coalition party, HZDS, may succeed with the 
demand to keep the amount companies can grant to non-government 
organisations at 2 percent of their taxes if the entire ruling 
coalition agrees on such a step, the daily Pravda reports 
Finance Minister Jan Pociatek as saying. 
    Pravda, page 9 
     
    MECIAR ASKS SLOTA TO GIVE UP PARTY LEADERSHIP 
    HZDS leader, Vladimir Meciar, has asked Jan Slota, the 
chairman of the second junior ruling coalition party SNS, to 
give up his party post to ease pressure on the dominant ruling 
party Smer from European socialists, the daily Sme reports. 
    Sme, page 2 
     
    RECORD FINE ON CONSTRUCTION FIRMS 
    The competition watchdog has confirmed fines worth a total 
1.35 billion crowns ($46.57 million) to seven construction 
companies for colluding on bids in a highway tender, down from 
originally 1.47 billion crown penalty issued in January, the 
daily Hospodarske Noviny reports. 
    Hospodarske Noviny, page 13 
     
    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: peter.laca.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=28.99 Slovak Crown)