Slovakia - Factors To Watch on Feb 1

    Here are news stories, press 
repors and events to watch which may affect Slovak financial 
markets on Thursday. 
     
    STATE BUDGET DATA 
    The finance ministry will publish central state budget data 
for January. 
     
    QUESTION HOUR 
    Government ministers will answer queries from MPs during the 
regular question hour in parliament, 2 p.m. (1300 GMT) 
     
    GOVT APPOINTS OSTROZLIK TO CBANK BOARD 
    The Slovak government surprised financial markets on 
Wednesday with the appointment of little-known commercial banker 
Viliam Ostrozlik to the central bank's (NBS) policy-making 
board. 
    [nL31693595] [RTRS-PLCY-CEN-POL-SK] 
     
    CROWN UP, FED COMMENTS SEEN KEY FOR TREND 
    The Slovak crown firmed 0.7 percent to the euro on Wednesday 
as investors returned to central European markets, and dealers 
said they will watch U.S. Federal Reserve comments on rate 
oulook for further trend. 
    [nL31766088] [RTRS-MMT-FRX-SK] 
     
    PRESS DIGEST 
    ------------ 
    LOWER GAS PRICES 
    Prices of gas for households could drop due to a favourable 
trend in oil prices, but the decline is not expected earlier 
than in July, the daily Pravda quoted the state regulator as 
saying. 
    Sme, page 1 
     
    DOCTORS WANT MINISTER OUT 
    Some of Bratislava's doctors have called on Prime Minister 
Robert Fico to dismiss the Healthcare Minister Ivan Valentovic 
for failing to solve problems of the healthcare sector. 
    Pravda, page 15 
     
    EURO PLENIPOTENTIARY 
    The government named central bank spokesman Igor Barat to 
the post of plenipotentiary for euro adoption, effective from 
February 15. 
    Pravda, page 12 
     
    J&T BUYS CZECH ARMS MAKER 
    Slovakia's private equity group J&T Finance has bought the 
bankrupt Czech arms producer Zbrojovka Brno for 707 million 
Czech crowns ($32.33 million). 
    Pravda, page 11 
     
    LAY OFF PLANS HIT SNAG 
    Some ministers have so far failed to fulfil a government 
order to reduce their workforce as part of the cost savings 
plan, the daily Pravda reports. Pravda says several ministries 
are, on the contrary, asking the government to hire new 
employees. 
    Pravda, page 2 
     
    United States and other 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 
    Reuters Messaging: martin.dokoupil.reuters.com@reuters.net 
     
 For real-time index quotes, double click in brackets: 
 Warsaw WIG20   Budapest BUX   Prague 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] 
 
 ((Compiled by Martin Santa; Bratislava Newsroom; Email: 
editorial@reuters.sk; +421-2-5341-8402)) 
 ($1=27.27 Slovak Crown) 
 ($1=.7717 Euro) 
 ($1=21.87 Czech Crown) 
  

[BRATISLAVA/Reuters/Finance.cz]