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Topics today: Government project for foreign workers. EU warning on safety standards. Electricity bills. Bangladesh DX club listeners' competition. Listeners quoted: Mustafa Hamoui, Eva Herzog, David Eldridge. Muhammad Shamims.
Mustafa Hamoui listens to us in India. He writes:
Well, Mr Hamoui, once the project gets rolling, anyone should be able to take part in it but for now, the government is only concentrating on Bulgaria, Kazakhstan, and Croatia. It has received 41 applications so far. Twenty-four are from Bulgaria, fifteen from Kazakhstan, and two from Croatia. According to the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, the applications are all from foreigners who already work in the Czech Republic but do not have a long-term residence permit. The ministry has not decided what other countries will be able to join soon.
The Czech government is trying to attract these young workers mainly because the average age of the Czech population is getting higher and therefore the number of people contributing to the current social system is decreasing. Those who get approved will be able to receive a residence permit for at least ten years, which also means that they will pay taxes for ten years, adding money to state coffers.
Eva Herzog from Germany visits the Radio Prague Internet site on a regular basis and has sent us an e-mail asking:
"Is it true that the European Union has warned hundreds of Czech food companies will be forced out of business unless they improve their food safety standards?"
Yes, it is true. EU Health Commissioner David Byrne did warn those companies that have not met safety standards yet. Mr Byrne is quoted to have said "they will have to rigorously reflect their compliance with EU rules - nothing more, nothing less," adding that those not up to standard will ultimately have to close." But let me point out that hundreds of other domestic firms have already met standards or were given more time to meet them.
The EU health delegation also stressed that the Czech government needed to enact legislation that brings its food regulations up to EU levels in areas of veterinary care, meat and dairy processing plants, and import controls at Prague airport. The government has failed to enact 21 decrees on veterinary issues alone. Brussels is furthermore pressing for safety improvements among Czech egg producers.
According to the DPA news agency, the Czech government is also being pressured into building a border-control facility for food imports at Prague's Ruzyne International Airport, which after EU enlargement will be the country's only entry point for non-EU foodstuffs. Mr Byrne said that these airport controls must be ready in May 2004.
We have a question from one of our regular listeners.
"I would like to know how people are charged for the electricity they use in their homes. I did put that question recently to a resident of your country and I was told "that it depends on the area of the residence". I have been wondering ever since what that means. Do Czechs pay for their electricity in the same way that most people pay for water here in the UK, or like some in panelaky type apartments for their heating: according to the size of their apartment? It would seem to me that electricity is too precious and easily misused a commodity not to be metered. Or do they actually pay by meter?"
In most cases people are charged separately for the electricity in their homes and it is metered. There are different ways of paying for it. I, for example have a set amount of money sent to the electricity company from my account every month. At the end of the year, an official comes to my home, checks the metre and I either pay the difference, or they give me money back, if I've overpaid.
Others get the bill and pay for it. Only in some cases do they have the bill for the entire building, which is then split up among the residents in the building.
To many, gas is more important than electricity because they use it to heat their flats, cook, and heat up water. So, it's the gas bill that's much higher most of the time. That, by the way, is also metered.
And since many of our listeners come from India, Bangladesh and Pakistan, we have received a special request from a DX club in Bangladesh. Its management sent us the following e-mail:
"In order to keep in good touch with you and to celebrate our club's anniversary we are going to arrange a quiz competition. I wish all listeners of your station would participate in the competition. Please air the question in your program. And please note that the deadline for sending the answer of the competition is December, 17. We will randomly draw a number of winners who will receive awards and prizes. Thank you in advance for your co-operation."
And the questions are:
1. Many radio stations broadcast their programs in English internationally. What 'is your favourite radio station?
2. How many languages do you listen to on the radio?
3. How often do you listen to radio programs?
4. How much are you benefiting from listening to radio?
5. Which city is called "The Dx city" in Bangladesh?
Please send your answers to the following address:
S.M.J. Habib
ACOTA INTERNATIONAL
RADIO LISTENERS' CLUB
KOARDARA(BILPARA)
SOPURA, RAJSHAHI-6203
BANGLADESH
