Slovakia - Factors To Watch on April 3

                                
 BRATISLAVA, April 3 (Reuters) - Here are news stories, press
reports and events to watch which may affect Slovak financial
markets on Thursday.
                                
 
                                
 COALITION MEETING
                                
 Leaders of the ruling coalition parties will meet to debate
the disputed draft media law.
                                
 
                                
 QUESTION HOUR
                                
 Prime Minister Robert Fico and government ministers will
answers queries from MPs during parliament's regular question
hour, 1200 GMT.
                                
 
                                
 RUSSIA PM VISIT
                                
 Russian Prime Minister Viktor Zubkov will start a two-day
visit to Slovakia. News conference with Prime Minister Robert
Fico at 1410 GMT.
                                
 
                                
 CPI SEEN AT 15-MONTH PEAK IN MARCH, RATES FLAT
                                
 Slovakia's EU-norm inflation probably edged up to a 15-month
peak in March on higher food and heating prices, but interest
rates will probably stay flat, a Reuters survey showed on
Wednesday.
                                
 [ID:nL02286151] [RTRS-MCE-ECI-CEN-INT-SK]
                                
 [ID:nL02197208] [RTRS-MCE-ECI-RET-SK]
                                
 
                                
 GOVT ADJOURNS TALKS ON 2008 FISCAL GAP CUT
                                
 The Slovak government adjourned on Wednesday a debate on the
plan to cut the 2008 public finance deficit, which was designed
to boost the country's chances of adopting the euro next year.
                                
 [ID:nL02370330] [RTRS-GVD-DBT-MMT-SK]
                                
 
                                
 PRESS DIGEST
                                
 ------------
                                
 HIGHER SOCIAL TRANSFERS
                                
 The state-run Social Insurer reported higher income of 110
million crowns ($5.30 million) for January, caused by the
government measure to increase payrol taxes for higher earners
at the beginning of the year.
                                
 Pravda, page 1
                                
 
                                
 CAR PRODUCTION UP
                                
 Car makers Kia Motors Corp. <000270.KS> and PSA Peugeot
Citroen <PEUP.PA> said they had reached full production capacity
in the two-shift regime in January. 
                                
 Pravda, page 22
                                
 
                                
 TRANSPETROL STAKE
                                
 The economy ministry is questiong a decision by the
Constitutional Court which granted shareholder rights in
pipeline operator Transpetrol to a local company Tradeunion.
                                
 Pravda, page 20
                                
 
                                
 ROAD TOLL TENDER
                                
 A consortium led by Italy's Autostrade <AUMI.MI> may be the
winner of an international tender to pick a builder and 
operator of a new road toll system worth 20 billion crowns.
                                
 Sme, page 1
                                
 
                                
 EURO CONFIDENCE
                                
 Market confidence of euro adoption next year rose to 82
percent in February, from 80 in the previous month, a poll of 19
analysts showed. The crown's conversion rate was seen at 32.5
against the euro.
 Sme, page 7
                                
 
                                
 NEGATIVE TAX
                                
 The government is considering adopting a package of social
measures, including the so-called negative tax for Slovaks with
low incomes.
                                
 Sme, page 9
                                
 
                                
 UNEMPLOYMENT RATE
                                
 Analysts see only small room for a further decline in the
unemployment rate as majority of jobless Slovaks are long-term
unemployed, lack education and skills. Eurostat reported a 9.9
jobless rate in Slovakia in February, the highest in the EU.
                                
 Hospodarske Noviny, page 1
                                
 
                                
 News editor of the day: Peter Laca, +421 2 5341 8402; fax
+421 2 5341 8403
                                
 E-mail: editorial@reuters.sk
                                
 For real-time index quotes, double click in brackets:
                                
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