INTERFAX - Czech Republic & Slovakia news

EC starts infringement proceedings against Czech Republic regarding professional qualifications

STATISTICS

Czech public finance deficit drops to 1.58% of GDP in 2007; best performance since 1997

Prague-listed Pegas Nonwovens receives CZK 25 mln grant to commercialize new products

TRANSPORTATION

EC takes to task Poland, Czech and Slovak republics for failure to harmonize laws on river data

Czech Finance Ministry advised to privatize state carrier Czech Airlines via direct sale

FOOD, BEVERAGE & AGRICULTURE

Czech drinking water system supplier Aquel Bohemia eyes Romania, Ukraine

Czech-Polish soft drinks maker Kofola-Hoop sees CE expansion as short-term goal after merger

Czech food supplements maker Walmark opens French branch, its first in Western Europe

MEDIA

KBC/Patria up rating on regional broadcaster CME to ’buy,’ set fair value at USD 117/share

REAL ESTATE

Czech Export Bank to finance EUR 200 mln power plant in Russia

CEE developer Orco Property Group unimpeded by credit crunch, eyes Romania, Bulgaria, Croatia

Foreigners buyers on Czech R/E market, mainly Brits, Russians, focusing on new developments

PRESS: Czech CPI to build offices and hotel on 90,000 sqm in Prague’s Prosek

Czech developer CPI’s Prostejov retail park 60% leased, delivery set for autumn

PRESS: Czech concrete Presbeton building Ukraine production plant, anticipates building boom

CORRECT: Prague-listed regional developer Orco’s ’07 net falls 9.5% y/y to EUR 87.5 mln

Czech retail fuel prices stagnate; Natural 95 at CZK 30.77/liter

PRESS: Czech retail fuel chain Pap Oil ’sold’ in February - source

Czech petrochem Unipetrol sees ethylene production back at full capacity by mid-April

Czech oil/gas MND net profit down 41% y/y due to foreign expansion, U.S. dollar – board chairman

COAL

IPO WATCH: Top Czech coal miner OKD merges Lazy, CSA mines to improve efficiency

HEAT, POWER & SEWAGE

PRESS: Czech utility CEZ talks to take over Polish power group PAK ’stalled’

Power firm CEZ ups Czech electricity production from biomass by 53% y/y to 249 GWh

Czech utility CEZ to invest CZK 8.7 bln into distribution network this year

PRESS: Holding J&T aims for 12% of Czech power market with CZK 25 bln, 5Y investment

Czech power utility CEZ likely to pay higher dividend than previously expected by Finance Ministry

Czech watchdog okays energy sector merger of J&T Private Equity B.V. and Czech Energy Holding

Raiffeisen cuts Czech power firm CEZ target price by 5%, keeps ’hold’ recommendation

PRESS: Czech CEZ sells Slovak power distributor Elektrovod as part of non-core asset divestment

ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Austrian lender Erste Bank’s Slovak unit Slovenska sporitelna to pay SKK 1.6 bln dividend

Czech bank Ceska sporitelna’s renewable energy program grants CZK 2.2 bln of loans since May

Czech unit of Raiffeisenbank/eBanka posts record-high CZK 1 bln net profit in 2007

INSURANCE

Prague bourse PX index down 0.23% Friday in week marked by thin trade

Prague Stock Exchange (PSE), SPAD trading, 28/03-04/04/2008 Bratislava Stock Exchange (BSE), Indices, 28/03-04/04/2008

FIXED INCOME

Prague Stock Exchange (PSE) Treasury bonds, Direct trading, 28/03-04/04/2008

Bratislava Stock Exchange (BSE) Treasury bonds, Direct trading, 28/03-04/04/2008

CURRENCY

Czech crown weakens against the euro above EUR/CZK 25.00 Friday

Czech National Bank foreign exchange rates, 28/03-04/04/2008

National Bank of Slovakia (NBS) foreign exchange rates, 28/03-04/04/2008

MONEY MARKET

National Bank of Slovakia, BRIBOR rate fixing, 28/03-04/04/2008

Czech National Bank, PRIBOR and PRIBID rate fixing – 28/03-04/04/2008

National Bank of Slovakia (NBS) official interest rates – 04/04/2008