• 04/04/2007

    The Czech Republic wants the United States to provide stronger security guarantees and military cooperation in exchange for hosting part of its missile defence shield, a note sent to the U.S. government said. The diplomatic note, approved by the Czech government last week and seen by the Reuters news agency on Wednesday, agrees to start talks with the Americans over the shield. The United States wants to deploy a radar system in the Czech Republic and 10 interceptor missiles in Poland by 2011-12. The note said the Czechs were aware of new threats to their security, mainly international terrorism, and expected that the United States would share information on those threats.

    Washington says the missile shield system would counter threats from what it calls "rogue states" such as Iran and North Korea.

    Author: Dita Asiedu
  • 04/04/2007

    The cabinet has approved the delivery of 12 helicopters to Afghanistan. The six Mi-17 transport and six Mi-24 combat helicopters are currently being repaired and modernised at the Malesice base. The Czech Republic was asked to donate the decommissioned aircraft last year to develop Afghanistan's Air Force and help in providing humanitarian aid to inaccesible areas. NATO is covering all costs, which are expected to amount to hundreds of millions of crowns.

    Author: Dita Asiedu
  • 04/04/2007

    February saw the highest monthly trade balance surplus in the country's history, according to preliminary data from the Czech Statistical Office. Exports and imports grew by 19.5% and 14.5% year-on-year, respectively and the trade balance amounted to 13.6 billion crowns, which is 8.8 billion higher than in February last year. The figures were mainly influenced by a 3.4 billion crown increase in the trade surplus in machinery and transport equipment and by a 3.3 billion crown decrease in the trade deficit in mineral fuels, lubricants and related materials.

    Author: Dita Asiedu
  • 04/04/2007

    A district court in Ostrava, Moravia, has sentenced the owner of a travel agency to seven years in prison for selling bogus holiday packages. Hundreds of clients, mainly pensioners, who had bought the trips to Croatia from the travel agency Harmonie Medical were left stranded without a place to stay and a flight back home. The owner of the agency, Hana Viteckova, owes around 19 million crowns to business partners and over 600 former clients.

    Author: Dita Asiedu
  • 04/04/2007

    Over fifty of the 300 employees at CzechInvest, a government agency promoting business and investment, have handed in their resignation. They include all ten members of the board of directors. The employees are protesting at the dismissal of the agency's general director Tomas Hruda. Trade and Industry Minister Martin Riman sacked Mr. Hruda last week citing poor management. The dismissed general director ascribed the decision to problematic personal relations with Mr. Riman.

    Author: Dita Asiedu
  • 04/04/2007

    Trade unions at the biggest car manufacturer in the country Skoda Auto are on strike alert to pressure management into a pay rise. The company posted a net profit of 40 percent last year and its workers are now calling for a 24 percent raise. Skoda Auto has over 26,000 employees.

    Author: Dita Asiedu
  • 04/04/2007

    The latest album by Czech Romany rap act Gypsy.cz has become the first Czech album to make the top ten of the European World Music Charts. Romano Hip Hop is eighth in the charts. The charts are drawn up once a month when radio world music specialists from twenty European countries select their individual top ten favourites out of current world music releases.

    Author: Dita Asiedu
  • 04/03/2007

    The government has approved a plan for far-reaching tax and spending reforms. The plan, which was unveiled in Prague on Tuesday, aims to slash taxes and public spending paving the way for a possible adoption of the single European currency as early as 2012. Reforms include the introduction of a flat 15 percent income tax rate, a rise in the reduced VAT rate from 5.0 percent to 9.0 percent and a cut in the basic VAT rate from the current 19.0 percent. A series of public spending cuts, mainly affecting social security payments and the health sector are expected to curb the government's overall budget. The reform plan will now have to be approved by the lower house of Parliament.

  • 04/03/2007

    The two former Social Democrat MPs who changed the balance of power in the lower house and enabled the centre right government to win a vote of confidence in January of this year say they have not been consulted about the reform package despite the fact that their votes will be crucial for its approval in Parliament. Michal Pohanka said he was expecting to be contacted about it since the governing coalition had promised to consult all significant government proposals with him in return for his vote of confidence. He said that the little he had learnt about the package from the press did not inspire him with confidence.

  • 04/03/2007

    The opposition Social Democrats have ruled out support for the reform package in its present form. Former finance minister Bohuslav Sobotka said that while some of the proposed reforms might win approval from the opposition they would have to be discussed independently. The reform package as a whole is unacceptable, Mr. Sobotka said.

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