Slovakia - Factors To Watch on Sept 29

    BRATISLAVA, Sept 29 (Reuters) - Here are news stories, press 
reports and events to watch which may affect Slovak financial 
markets on Friday. 
     
    DECISION ON GAS PRICE HIKE 
    The state regulator is to deliver a decision on a gas price 
hike requested by natural gas monopoly SPP. SPP lowered its 
original request to just under 9 percent, but recent reports 
have said the hike will be below 5 percent. 
    [RTRS-LEN-SK-ELG] 
     
    C.BANK TO RELEASE WEEKLY FOREX RESERVES DATA 
    The central bank to release weekly forex reserves data (1200 
GMT). 
    [RTRS-LEN-SK-CEN] 
     
    GOVT APPROVES TAX CHANGES, EYES ON EURO 
    The Slovak government approved tax changes on Thursday 
opening room to fulfill an election promise to boost welfare 
funding amid concerns the country will fail to remain on track 
to meet euro entry criteria. 
    [ID:nL28756514]   [RTRS-LEN-SK-GVD] 
     
    AUG PPI TOUCH ABOVE FORECASTS 
    Slovak producer prices rose 0.6 percent month-on-month in 
August, above market expectations, putting the annual inflation 
rate for factory-gate costs (PPI) at 8.8 percent, data showed on 
Thursday. 
    [ID:nL28830764] [RTRS-MCE-ECI] 
     
    PRESS DIGEST 
    ------------ 
    SLOVAK GOVT APPROVES RAISE IN MINIMUM WAGE 
    The leftist government of Prime Minister Robert Fico 
approved on Thursday a raise in the minimum wage to 7,600 crowns 
from 6,900 crowns, effective from October 1. Analysts and 
employers interpret minimum wage as non-systematic limiting 
employment rate. 
    Sme, page 1 
     
    GOVT APPROVES REAL-ESTATE CREDIT BONUS 
    Fico's cabinet approved a real-estate credit bonus, of 1.5 
percent, for young Slovaks under 35 year. The proposed change is 
forecast to reduce the state budget income by some 50 million 
crowns in 2007, daily Sme reports. 
    Sme, page 6 
     
    SLOVAK ELECTRICITY PRICES ONE OF EU'S HIGHEST - PIEBALGS 
    European Union's Energy Commissioner Andris Piebalgs said on 
Thursday Slovakia's electricity prices were one of the highest 
in the European Union, calling for more market's liberalisation 
and warned of possible electricity prices set-up deformation. 
    Sme, page 7 
     
    SNS ACCUSE HUNGARY OF A COMPLOT AGAINST SLOVAK GOVT 
    Jan Slota, leader far-right Slovak Nationalists (SNS), 
accused Hungary's political officials of a complot against the 
Slovak government led by the leftist Prime Minister Robert Fico, 
daily Pravda reports. 
    Pravda, page 2 
     
    SLOVAKS OPEN DOOR FOR NEW EU MEMBERS 
    Slovakia favours opening of its labour market for Romania 
and Bulgaria, which are expected to join the 25-European Union 
in January 2007, the Foreign Minister Jan Kubis said on 
Thursday, daily Hospodarske Noviny reports. 
    Hospodarske noviny, 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: 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=29.46 Slovak Crown)