NEWS
Schwarzenberg: Obama to make public address at Prague Castle
US President Barack Obama will make his widely anticipated public address at Hradčanské náměstí, Karel Schwarzenberg told LN yesterday. The speech will take place on Sunday around 10 a.m. following a meeting with President Václav Klaus. Obama is expected later Sunday to meet with former president Václav Havel, according to unofficial information.
HN 5, LN 1, 7
Klaus demands new cabinet; Topolánek wants more time
President Václav Klaus on Monday pressed for the formation of a new cabinet as quickly as possible, while PM Mirek Topolánek said he hoped the parties would have days or weeks to discuss their future steps, after the government failed a no-confidence vote last week.
LN 1, 3, Právo 1, 2
Cabinet fails to act on corruption law
The cabinet yesterday sent back to the Interior Ministry a draft amendment that would have punished companies collectively for corruption carried out by individuals. The ministry has until the end of the year to study the proposal, although such a study was carried out in 2007 by the Parliamentary Institute. The Czech Republic is one of only three EU states that have not yet introduced such a corruption law, according to Transparency International’s David Ondráčka.
HN 2
Topolánek defends ‘road to hell’ comment
Prime Minister Mirek Topolánek defended his description of the US economic stimulus package as the “road to hell” in an article in The Times (London) on Monday, saying the statement was not meant to be critical of the US, but rather to warn “… a friend walking next to me on an uneven path that he may stumble”.
E15 1
Topolánek: ČR likely to reject taking Guantanamo prisoners
The Czech Republic would likely reject a request by the US to accept detainees from the US detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, PM Mirek Topolánek told Radio Impuls Monday, adding the National Security Council had recommended such a stance. Guantanamo is expected to be on the agenda during US President Barack Obama’s visit to Prague this weekend.
ČTK
Ministry will count Roma children in schools
The Education Ministry has launched a project to have primary school teachers count the number of Roma pupils in their classrooms. The ministry wants to find out whether Roma children are discriminated against by the education system.
LN 1, 4
Problem students would face temporary expulsion
The Education Ministry has proposed an amendment under which aggressive primary and secondary school students would face temporary expulsion. The schools would also arrange an alternate programme under the supervision of a psychologist. The amendment now goes to the lower house for approval.
most Czech press
Tlustý suspends ODS membership
ODS deputy Vlastimil Tlustý said Monday he had suspended his party membership in reaction to threats by ODS leaders to cancel the local party branch in Rakovník if it did not expel him. Zdeněk Nejdl of the local ODS unit said Tlustý was no longer an ODS member, so therefore he could not be expelled.
iHned.cz, Právo 2
Police establish special anti-terrorist centre
Police yesterday opened a special anti-terrorism centre to gather and analyse information on possible terrorist activities in the Czech Republic.
ČTK
BUSINESS
Govt approves lower VAT for restaurants
Ministers on Monday approved a proposal to lower VAT on a range of services from 19% to 9% in order to preserve jobs. The move will affect restaurants, hairdressers, booksellers and companies involved in renovating flats.
MfD B1, B5, ČTK
Škoda Auto considering Saturday work to meet demand
Car manufacturer Škoda Auto is considering launching Saturday work shifts to meet increased demand, especially from countries that have recently introduced car subsidies. The new shifts would require hiring as many as 1,000 people from job agencies, said the head of the Škoda trade union, Jaroslav Povšík.
most Czech press
Lower house could block sale of Prague Airport today
Social Democrats and other MPs who voted against the government in a no confidence vote last week could try to block the sale of Prague Airport at an extraordinary session of parliament today. The privatisation is already into its second round, and PM Mirek Topolánek said Sunday the country could face possible arbitration if the sale were blocked.
HN 2
Carbon credit sale to raise billions for environmental projects
The Czech Republic will receive roughly CZK 10 billion for selling emissions allowances this year, Environment Minister Martin Bursík said Monday after signing a contract to sell 40 million tonnes of carbon credits to Japan. The Czech Republic wants to sell additional credits worth up to CZK 25 billion in the next four years.
most Czech press
ČSSD, ODS to evaluate economic crisis measures
Finance Minister Miroslav Kalousek, Labour Minister Petr Nečas, and Industry and Trade Minister Martin Říman agreed yesterday with their shadow ČSSD counterparts to pass both parties’ economic crisis measures to a second reading. Reports say that ČSSD’s proposal to pay a bonus for scrapping old cars is back on the table and ODS expects its proposal to reduce social insurance obligations for companies to be supported in return.
most Czech press
Profit in Czech banks dips 2.8% in 2008
Aggregate net earnings in the Czech banking sector fell 2.8% last year to CZK 45.66 billion. Cyrrus analyst Marek Hatlapatka said that figure could plummet by as much as 15-30% this year.
ČTK
Pražská teplárenská cuts heating, gas prices
Pražská teplárenská will cut heating bills by 5.1% and gas by 3.5% as of 1 April. The measure will save some 265,000 Prague households anywhere from CZK 500 to CZK 2,800 a year.
LN 6
Spurný of PPF Group to head Hungarian bank
Tomáš Spurný, one of the lead managers of Petr Kellner’s PPF Group, has become the new head of the second-largest Hungarian bank, CIB, a member of the Italian banking group Banca Intesa.
HN 13
ČNB to issue new CZK 500 note
The Czech National Bank will release a new CZK 500 note into circulation on Wednesday with improved security features to prevent counterfeiting. The bill will have a thicker protective strip with the ČNB logo and additional features on the watermark of Božena Němcová. The note was the second most counterfeited in the country last year, after the CZK 1,000 note.
HN 16, Právo 5
More foreign investors leaving ČR
The company Steinel has announced it will close its Czech plant, Steinel Elektronik, with 176 employees, in the middle of the year and move production to Romania because of the current financial crisis. Multidisplay (formerly LG.Philips Displays) has ended production of LCD displays in Hranice, north Moravia.
ČTK
ČSA pilots to decide on wage cut in a poll
Pilots at Czech Airlines will decide on a possible wage cut this week in a poll organised by the CZALPA union ahead of a possible next round of talks with the company management.
ČTK
Philip Morris 2008 profit falls 36.7%
Net earnings at the largest Czech tobacco company, Philip Morris ČR, dropped 36.7% to CZK 1.534 billion last year. Analysts say the firm could pay out a gross dividend of CZK 559 per share, after paying out CZK 883 per share a year ago.
ČTK, E15 13
