NEWS
Swine flu reaches Germany, Austria
Cases of swine flu have now been confirmed in Austria and Germany, though all suspected cases in the Czech Republic have so far tested negative. Three patients are on observation in hospital, while a number of others are in home isolation. Meantime, the first direct flight from Mexico, where the flu originated, is expected at Prague Airport on Sunday morning. Passengers will go through an immediate medical examination.
most Czech press
Poll: Czechs like Slovaks, dislike Roma
A strong majority of Czechs, 91%, consider Slovaks the most likeable of all nationalities, followed by the British, Americans and the French, according to an April poll by STEM. Only 12% of respondents said they would not mind having Roma as neighbours.
ČTK
President calls on ODS members to fight for party
President Václav Klaus has written an open letter to ODS asking members to fight for the party’s direction. Klaus, who founded the party, said he wrote the letter in reaction to one he had received from an ODS member who disagreed with Klaus’s recent decision to leave the party. The president’s letter has been published on his official website.
most Czech press
Astronomical Clock statue vandalised
A statue of an astronomer on the Astronomical Clock in Prague’s Old Town was damaged by an unknown perpetrator, police said yesterday. Restoration work will take several weeks.
most Czech press
Sprinter Bolt to participate in Ostrava race
Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt, who set world records in the 100 and 200 metre events at the Beijing Olympics, will compete at the Golden Spike race in Ostrava on 17 June. Bolt will get USD 100,000 if he sets a new world record at 100 metres.
ČTK
Klaus to meet with pope in May
President Václav Klaus will meet with Pope Benedict XVI in the Vatican on 30 May, according to Radim Ochvat, a spokesman of the president’s office.
ČTK
Top court upholds sentence over racist website
The Constitutional Court in Brno yesterday upheld a six-month suspended sentence with a 15-month probation for a young man from Ostrava who operated racist website.
ČTK
Klaus favours Turkey’s EU entry
After meeting with Turkish President Abdullah Gül in Prague on Wednesday, Czech President Václav Klaus said he favoured allowing Turkey to become a member of the EU.
ČTK
BUSINESS
FinMin: Deficit could reach 4.5% of GDP
The state budget deficit could reach CZK 167 billion, or 4.5% of GDP, this year, according to the latest outlook by the Finance Ministry. The ministry said the Czech economy would shrink by 2.3% this year and grow slightly, 0.8%, in 2010. The Finance Ministry will submit to the lower house today its proposal for medium-term expenditures showing a budget deficit of CZK 150 billion.
most Czech press
Škoda Auto net profit down 91%
The largest Czech automaker, Škoda Auto, saw its net profit fall 91.4% year-on-year in the first quarter to CZK 312 million. The company sold 143,000 vehicles in the period, a drop of 17.5% from a year ago.
most Czech press
Some used cars could also qualify for scrapping bonus
A new proposal would extend the CZK 30,000 scrapping bonus to purchases of nearly new used cars and show cars, provided they are worth less than CZK 500,000 and have fewer than 6,000 km, Hospodářské noviny reports. Currently, the bonus applies only to new cars worth less than CZK 500,000. The lower house will vote on the proposal within two weeks.
HN 1, 5
Arbitration tribunal to decide Lesy ČR v CE Wood case
An international tribunal will be set up to judge the CE Wood v state-owned Lesy ČR case and decide whether Lesy ČR harmed CE Wood due to a breach of public tender laws. Former CE Wood owner, German company InterTrade Im- und Export, and the current owners, Swiss and Luxembourg investment funds, are demanding the Czech government pay them some CZK 10bn in damages.
HN 15, 17
Paroubek calls on managers to publish salaries
The leader of the opposition ČSSD, Jiří Paroubek, has called on managers of state-controlled companies to publish their salaries or risk losing their jobs if his party wins elections in the autumn. Ondřej Peterka from the law firm Peterka & Partners said it was not clear legally if someone could get fired for not publishing their salary and that it could result in a lawsuit.
most Czech press
First Aston Martin branch opens in Prague
The first Aston Martin car dealership has opened in Prague as part of the Auto Exner group. Car prices will start at CZK 2.5 million.
HN 18
GE Money lays off 40 employees
GE Money financial group has laid off some 40 employees, mainly from the mortgage department, as the company has reduced cooperation with mortgage brokers and because of the weaker market for consumer loans, according to the CEO for the Czech Republic and Slovakia, Peter Herbert. The company also plans to merge its branches of Multiservis and GE Money Auto.
HN 16
German, Austrian labour markets remain closed
Germany and Austria will not open their labour markets to new EU member states, including the Czech Republic, on 1 May, Czech EU Commissioner Vladimír Špidla said yesterday. Denmark, Belgium and Norway confirmed lifting labour restrictions for EU newcomers.
LN 19
Incentives for filmmakers planned
The Czech Republic is planning to introduce new tax incentives to encourage local and foreign filmmakers, allowing them to write off 20% of all local costs. The Culture Ministry estimates film companies would get back some CZK 1.5 billion every year. It’s not clear when the bill will be discussed because of the collapse of the government. In recent years, big foreign productions have been turning to cheaper countries such as Hungary and Romania.
E15 2, HN 28
ČEZ to build gas-fired power plant in Mělník
Energy company ČEZ is going to build a gas-fired power plant with an output of 800 MW in Mělník. The local coal plant will end operations after 2015. Building costs are estimated at CZK 18.5 billion.
E15 11, HN 17
ČR sells bonds worth CZK 1.5bn
The Czech Republic sold EUR 1.5 billion of Eurobonds due in November 2014 at a fixed rate of 4.5%, the Finance Ministry said Wednesday. The money will be used to refinance the state debt and budget deficit.
ČTK
Large commercial zone planned for Prague suburb
The municipality of Čestlice, south-east of Prague, is planning to expand its commercial zone five-fold in six years to 39 hectares, the daily E15 reported yesterday. The project, worth billions of crowns, will be managed by RBZ Euro Reality.
E15.cz
Prague Airport passenger numbers down almost 20%
The number of passengers at Prague Airport dropped by 18% in the first quarter of 2009 from a year ago to just over 2 million.
ČTK
Court approves sale of Poděbrady glassworks
The Prague City Court has approved the sale of the Sklárny Bohemia Poděbrady glassmaker to Crystal Bohemia for CZK 61 million. Sklárny is the first company of the bankrupt BCT group to get new ownership.
ČTK
