Slovakia - Factors To Watch on Feb 12

                                
 BRATISLAVA, Feb 12 (Reuters) - Here are news stories, press
reports and events to watch which may affect Slovak financial
markets on Thursday.
                                
 
                                
 PM TO ADDRESS EMPLOYERS
                                
 Prime Minister Robert Fico will address a meeting of
employers association, 0930 GMT
                                
 
                                
 QUESTION HOUR
                                
 Prime Minister Robert Fico and government ministers to
answer MPs' questions during a regular question hour in
parliament, 1300 GMT.
                                
 
                                
 SLOVAK DEC TRADE GAP WIDENS, EXPORT OUTLOOK BLEAK
                                
 Slovakia's foreign trade deficit widened in December, the
Statistics Office said on Wednesday, and analysts expected
exports of the euro zone newcomer to take a further hit from the
global crisis this year.
                                
 [ID:nLB582620] [RTRS-MCE-ECI-TRD-SK-LEN]
                                
 
                                
 JAN CPI SLIGHTLY ABOVE FORECASTS
                                
 Slovak consumer prices rose by 0.7 percent month-on-month in
January, putting the annual headline inflation rate at 13-month
low of 3.7 percent, the Statistics Office said on Wednesday.
                                
 [ID:nLB64103] [RTRS-MCE-ECI-SK-LEN]
                                
 
                                
 KIA MOTORS SAYS TO CUT PRODUCTION AT SLOVAK PLANT
                                
 Kia Motors <000270.KS>, South Korea's No. 2 car maker, said
on Wednesday it would temporarily cut production at it Slovak
assembly plant due to weak demand on European markets.
                                
 [ID:nLB233285] [RTRS-CARM-AUT-KR-SK-LEN]
                                
 
                                
 SEVEN EU STATES NOW GROWING GM CROPS, INDUSTRY SAYS
                                
 Farmers in seven European Union nations planted genetically
modified crops commercially last year, one fewer than in 2007
after France banned cultivation of GM maize, an
industry-sponsored report said on Wednesday.
                                
 [ID:nLB96981] [RTRS-GRA-MEAL-EU-SK-LEN]
                                
 
                                
 PRESS DIGEST
                                
 ------------
                                
 BANK FEES RULE
                                
 Banks in Slovakia will not charge any fees for operations
with euro coins and banknotes between March 1 and Aug. 31, the
parliament ruled on Tuesday. Banks have criticised the new
measure as violating the EU rules.
                                
 Hospodarske Noviny, page 4
                                
 
                                
 PRIVATE PENSION FUNDS
                                
 Slovakia's private pension funds had some 2.315 billion euro
of people's savings under their management as of Feb. 6.
                                
 
                                
 TOURISM TAKES HITS
                                
 Slovak tour operators expect a 15 percent drop in tourism
market due to the global financial turmoil. They expect some 10
percent of tour operators not to survive the downturn.
                                
 Hospodarske Noviny, page 14
                                
 
                                
 Reuters has not verified the media reports and does not
vouch for their accuracy.
                                
 
                                
 For news on upcoming events in the United States and other
Group  of Seven countries, see <G7TODAY>. 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: peter.laca.reuters.com@reuters.net
                                
 For real-time index quotes, double click in brackets:
                                
 Warsaw WIG20 <.WIG20>  Budapest BUX <.BUX>  Prague PX50
<.PX50>
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