Slovakia - Factors To Watch on Oct 4

    BRATISLAVA, Oct 4 (Reuters) - Here are news stories, press 
reports and events to watch which may affect Slovak financial 
markets on Wednesday. 
     
    REGULAR GOVERNMENT MEETING 
    The government will hold a regular meeting where it is to 
discuss the 2007 budget. 
     
    GOVT HALTS SELLOFFS OF HEATING FIRMS             
    The Slovak government's plan to halt state selloffs picked 
up speed on Tuesday after the privatisation agency cancelled the 
sale of six heating companies and the country's largest arms 
producer DMD group.  
    [ID:nL0369118] [RTRS-POL-SK] 
     
    GOVT CLAIMS ON 2007 BUDGET TOP $3.4 BLN-PAPER 
    Slovak government ministries have asked for some 100 billion 
crowns ($3.40 billion) to cover their spending priorities, from 
a budget reserve of only 3 billion crowns, the daily Sme 
reported on Tuesday. 
    [ID:nL03186551] [RTRS-GVD-MCE-PLCY] 
     
    CBANK REPO DRAINS SKK 116.2 BLN FROM MKT 
    The Slovak central bank (NBS) accepted all bids in its 
regular two-week repo tender on Tuesday, draining 116.236 
billion crowns ($3.95 billion) from the money market, NBS data 
showed. 
    [ID:nL03230970] [RTRS-MMT-FRX] 
     
    CROWN JUMPS TO 5-MO HIGH, SENTIMENT BULLISH 
    The Slovak crown <EURSKK=> hit a 5-month high against the 
euro on Tuesday as London-based investors boosted positions in 
the crown, traders said. 
    [ID:nL03187968]   [RTRS-MMT-FRX] 
     
    PRESS DIGEST 
    ------------ 
    ECONMIN TONES DOWN RHETORIC ON UTILITY PRICES 
    Economy Minister Lubomir Jahnatek toned down his rhetoric on 
unconditional cuts in the utility prices. The ministry is now 
preparing an amendment to law on the State Regulator to 
strengthen its mandate in the pricing process. 
    Pravda, page 17 
     
    HEALTH CARE MIN END-JUNE DEBT HITS $188 MLN 
    Debt in Slovakia's health care system reached 5.523 billion 
crowns ($187.9 million) in June, the daily Sme quoted a health 
ministry document as saying. The debt has shrunk by 111 million 
crowns since end-2005. 
    Sme, page 6 
     
    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: Alan Crosby 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=29.40 Slovak Crown)