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The lower house of Parliament will hold an extraordinary session next Tuesday to discuss a programme of state bonds in aid of Latvia's economy, The Czech Republic is to lend Latvia 200 million euros to help it weather the economic crisis. The seven-year interest-free loan is to be financed by state bonds. Latvia has asked the EU for aid to the tune of 7.5 billion euros. Individual member states are to provide 3.1 billion euros, the rest will come from the International Monetary Fund. According to figures published by the European Commission Latvia's economy will decline by 6.9 percent, the steepest drop in the EU.

A civil servant at the Kladno town hall has been handed a three year suspended sentence for assisting feigned marriages. In the course of 2004 and 2005 the woman helped 50 Vietnamese nationals gain permanent residence in the Czech Republic through feigned marriages. In 2007 Parliament approved a tighter foreigners’ law under which all mixed marriages are subjected to close scrutiny.

In the same interview with Hospodářské noviny, Mr Topolánek said that his cabinet was counting upon economic growth falling by up to two percent in 2009. The prime minister said that he was drawing up proposals with a group of financial experts to counter this fall in growth, and that these proposals would be unveiled on February 18. On Sunday, the governor of the Czech National Bank, Zdeněk Tůma also predicted a sharp downturn in the Czech economy this year. He predicted that the economy could be hit by up to 0.3 percent negative growth in 2009.

The government has approved a bill which will pay foreign workers made redundant to go home. Unemployed foreigners will, under the new law, have their passage home paid for and be given 500 euros if they agree to leave the Czech Republic. Interior Minister Ivan Langer said that the scheme would be put into effect by the end of this month and that he predicted up to 2000 foreign workers would take part in the first phase of the project. The Interior Ministry predicts that up to 12,000 foreigners could be made redundant in the first quarter of this year. Over 68,000 foreigners’ work permits expire by the end of this year. Under the new law, it will be harder for foreigners seeking to work in the Czech Republic to obtain long-term visas to do so.

Health minister says insurers ready to fine those who refuse to collect healthcare fees

Czech health insurers are ready to start fining hospitals and pharmacies which do not collect healthcare fees, Health Minister Daniela Filipiová said on Monday. According to Ms Filipiová, such practice was violation of the law and those who refused to collect fees could be charged up to 50,000 crowns (around 2,350 USD) penalty, repeatedly if they continued to refuse. Since the beginning of 2008, Czechs have had to pay 30 crowns per visit to a doctor and 60 crowns per day spent in hospital. The law has proved controversial, and many hospitals and chemists have refused to collect the fees.