Slovakia - Factors To Watch on Feb 3

                                
 BRATISLAVA, Feb 3 (Reuters) - Here are news stories, press
reports and events to watch which may affect Slovak financial
markets on Tuesday.
                                
 
                                
 PARLIAMENT SESSION
                                
 Parliament will start a regular monthly session 1200 GMT.
                                
 
                                
 EU TELLS SLOVAKIA TO CHANGE COMPETITION LAW
                                
 The European Commission ordered the Slovak government on
Monday to bring its antitrust regulations in the electronic
communications, energy and postal sectors into line with EU laws
on competition.
                                
 [ID:nBRU007225] [RTRS-REGS-POL-SK-LEN]
                                
 
                                
 FDI FALLS OVER 50 PCT IN 2008-GOVT AGENCY
                                
 The Slovak government's investment agency SARIO arranged
foreign direct investment deals worth 538 million euros in 2008,
less than half the 1.28 billion worth of FDI contracts signed in
2007, it said on Monday.
                                
 [ID:nL248761] [RTRS-MCE-TRD-SK-LEN]
                                
 
                                
 SLOVAKIA SELLS 215.1 MLN EURO IN 8-YR BONDS
                                
 Slovakia sold 215.1 million euro ($276.4 million) worth of
eight-year, 4.2 percent state bonds <SK040417208=> in an auction
on Monday, the Finance Ministry's Debt and Liquidity Management
Agency said.
                                
 [ID:nPRG001222] [RTRS-GVD-DBT-ISU-SK-LEN]
                                
 
                                
 PRESS DIGEST
                                
 ------------
                                
 NON-TAXABLE INCOME
                                
 The government wants to increase the non-taxable income to
4,017 euros from current 3,435 euros in March to stimulate
demand. The cabinet opposes opposition calls for lower income,
corporate and employment taxes.
                                
 Hospodarske Noviny, page 1
                                
 
                                
 STATE BUDGET
                                
 The central state budget showed a 100.3 million euro surplus
in January. Budget revenues, however, fell by 39 percent on the
year. The finance ministry said the revenue fall had no broader
implications.
                                
 Sme, page 7
                                
 
                                
 SPP OPPOSES NEW GAS MEASURE
                                
 The dominant gas firm SPP said government measure designed
to keep gas reserves for 30 days for emergency cases would boost
its costs by hundreds of millions of euros. Parliament has yet
to approve the government proposal.
                                
 Pravda, page 35
                                
 
                                
 SMALL EURO COINS
                                
 Slovakia might limit use of 1 and 2 cent coins in the
future, Prime Minister Robert Fico said.
                                
 Sme, page 7
                                
 
                                
 CROWN WITHDRAWAL
                                
 The central bank said it had withdrawn almost 90 percent of
all crown bank notes and coins which were in use by the end of
2008. Slovakia has adopted the euro on Jan. 1.
                                
 Hospodarske Noviny, page 18
                                
 
                                
 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>
 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]