Reforms in Slovakia 2005
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
INEKO Institute for Economic and Social Reforms Dušan Zachar (Ed.) REFORMS IN SLOVAKIA 2005 Evaluation of Economic and Social Measures (The HESO Project) The HESO Project in 2006 is supported by: THE HESO PROJECT - EVALUATION OF ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL MEASURES January 2005 – December 2005 The "REFORMS IN SLOVAKIA 2005" publication has been supported by the British Embassy in Bratislava and by the Open Society Institute. REFORMS IN SLOVAKIA 2005 Evaluation of Economic and Social Measures (The HESO Project) ISBN 80-89026-22-2 INEKO – Institute for Economic and Social Reforms Bajkalská 25, 827 18 Bratislava 212, Slovak Republic tel: (+421 2) 53 411 020 fax: (+421 2) 58 233 487 www.ineko.sk to obtain copies of HESO publications, please contact: [email protected] contact for sponsorship: [email protected] Editor: Dušan Zachar Translation: SKRIVANEK SLOVENSKO, s.r.o. www.skrivanek.sk Banská Bystrica 048 415 3756 [email protected] Bratislava 02 5262 6581 [email protected] Nitra 037 741 2685 [email protected] Košice 055 625 1191 [email protected] Trnava 033 551 3229 [email protected] Žilina 041 500 5456 [email protected] Layout and Cover Design: Milan Kisztner J. Poničana 15 841 07 Bratislava Slovak Republic Printing: ŠOPA PRINT, f.o. INEKO Institute for Economic and Social Reforms REFORMS IN SLOVAKIA 2005 THE HESO PROJECT - EVALUATION OF ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL MEASURES Bratislava July 2006 The Slovak Republic faces the task to secure conditions for a long-term economic growth. A crucial precondition for an efficient implementation of economic and social measures is the knowledge of the status quo and of the impacts on the economy and the society as a whole, to be expected from the relevant measures and it is important to focus on short-term as well as on long-term goals. For a successful implementation of many economic and social measures citizens´ acceptance is needed. Therefore, the non-governmental, non-profit organisation Institute for Economic and Social Reforms INEKO aims to make the public more familiar with the nature of economic and social processes in the country and abroad, and to eliminate, through economic research and educational activities, hindrances to a long-term positive development of the Slovak economy and society. INEKO Institute for Economic and Social Reforms Bajkalská 25 827 18 Bratislava 212 Slovak Republic tel: (+421 2) 534 11 020 fax: (+421 2) 58 233 487 e-mail: [email protected] internet: www.ineko.sk International Academic Council: Chairperson: Peter Weitz - in memoriam Lájos Bokros Michal Mejstřík Brigita Schmögnerová INEKO Council Honorary Chairperson: Katarína Mathernová Daniela Zemanovičová INEKO Council Chairperson: Grigorij Mesežnikov Director: Eugen Jurzyca The HESO Project Evaluation of Economic and Social Measures 2005 Acknowledgements The HESO (Evaluation of Economic and Social Measures) Project brings experts’ opinions on economic and social measures to the public. This publication has been created thanks to many outstanding personalities who were taking part in quarterly evaluations of economic and social measures. All members of the Experts´ Committee were participating without any financial reward. We are very grateful for their contributions and kindness. Members of the HESO Experts´ Committee (Register contains names of all experts who have participated in minimum one quarterly evaluation in 2005.) Rudolf Autner, Slovak Rating Agency, a.s. Ladislav Balko, Faculty of Law, Comenius University in Bratislava; Bratislava College of Law Vladimír Benč, SFPA - Slovak Foreign Policy Association, Prešov Mário Blaščák, Ľudová banka (Volksbank), a.s. František Bruckmayer, AZZZ SR - Federation of Employers´ Associations of the Slovak Republic Daneš Brzica, Institute of Slovak and World Economics of the Slovak Academy of Sciences Konštantín Čikovský, weekly economic magazine TREND Igor Daniš, Department of Politology, Faculty of Philosophy, Comenius University in Bratislava (previous occupation: Faculty of Management, Comenius University in Bratislava) Dušan Deván, devan.blog.sme.sk Vladimír Dohnal, Symsite Research, s.r.o. Petr Dufek, Československá obchodní banka, a.s., Czech Republic Adrián Ďurček, COOP Jednota Slovensko, s.d. Marek Gábriš, ČSOB, a.s., Bratislava Peter Goceliak, VÚB Asset Management, a.s. Peter Gonda, M.R. Štefánik Conservative Institute Peter Havlik, The Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies (wiiw), Austria Igor Hornák, OTP Asset Management, a.s. Július Horváth, Central European University in Budapest, Hungary Michal Horváth, University of St Andrews, United Kingdom Eduard Chmelár, Faculty of Philosophy, Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra Igor Hurčík, Slovak Telecom, a.s. Martin Jaroš, weekly economic magazine TREND (previous occupation: daily newspaper SME) Juraj Javorský, daily newspaper SME Anton Jura, U.S. Steel Košice, s.r.o. Eugen Jurzyca, INEKO - Institute for Economic and Social Reforms Róbert Kičina, PAS - Business Alliance of Slovakia Tomáš Kmeť, Investors Group Inc., Calgary, Canada Róbert Kopál, AOCP - Slovak Association of Securities Dealers Ľubomír Koršňák, Unibanka, a.s. Juraj Kotian, Slovenská sporiteľňa, a.s. Martin Krekáč, AJG - Amrop Jenewein Group, s.r.o.; PAS - Business Alliance of Slovakia Lukáš Krivošík, political and social e-zin Pravé Spektrum (The Right Spectrum) Juraj Lazový, Entrepreneur Branislav Lichardus, VŠM - College of Management in Trenčín, Bratislava, Poprad Grigorij Mesežnikov, IVO - Institute for Public Affairs Peter Mihók, SOPK - Slovak Chamber of Commerce and Industry Vladimír Mojš, KOZ SR - Confederation of Trade Unions of the Slovak Republic Jozef Mrva, ZMOS - Association of Towns and Communities of Slovakia Milan Muška, ZMOS - Association of Towns and Communities of Slovakia Juraj Nemec, Matej Bel University in Banská Bystrica František Okruhlica, University of Economics in Bratislava Pavol Ondriska, ING, d.s.s. Jozef Orgonáš, Slovak Association of Commerce and Tourism Vítězslav Palásek, Agency for Social Analyses "ASA", s.r.o. Miroslav Plojhar, Citibank, a.s., Czech Republic Ivan Podstupka, daily economic newspaper Hospodárske noviny Ján Pokrivčák, Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra Juraj Porubský, daily newspaper Pravda Ludvík Posolda, RÚZ - National Union of Employers Róbert Prega, Tatra banka, a.s. 6 The HESO Project Evaluation of Economic and Social Measures 2005 Radoslav Procházka, Counsel of the Slovak Republic in Proceedings before Courts of the European Union Igor Rintel, Meracrest, a.s., Bratislava Rastislav Ručinský, Faculty of Business Administration in Košice, University of Economics in Bratislava Andrej Salner, SGI - Slovak Governance Institute Peter Schutz, Journalist Emília Sičáková - Beblavá, TIS - Transparency International Slovakia Peter Siman, COOP Jednota Slovensko, s.d. Miroslav Siváček, OPEN, Association of MBA Alumni Juraj Stern, SFPA - Slovak Foreign Policy Association, Bratislava Jozef Stránsky, Trade Union of Workers in Banking and Insurance Industry Karol Sudor, sudor.blog.sme.sk Jozef Škodný, SOPK - Slovak Chamber of Commerce and Industry; Eltec, a.s. Radoslav Štefančík, University of St. Cyril and Methodius in Trnava Martin Štefunko, INESS - Institute of Economic and Social Studies Ján Tóth, ING Bank N.V. Luboš Vagač, CPHR- Center for Economic Development Mária Valachyová, VÚB banka, a.s. Ľuboš Vančo, KPMG Slovensko, s.r.o. Milan Velecký, TV Liptov (previous occupation: weekly Liptov) VIPA - civic association The Rural Parliament, Banská Bystrica Jaroslav Vokoun, Institute of Slovak and World Economics of the Slovak Academy of Sciences Eduard Žitňanský, biweekly economic magazine Profit Robert Žitňanský, weekly magazine Týždeň Our thanks also go to fellow workers - Gabriel Machlica and Marián Matusák who participated in the realisation of the HESO Project in 2005. Last but not least we would like to express special acknowledgements to the HESO 2006 Project partners - AJG - Amrop Jenewein Group, s.r.o., Allen & Overy Bratislava, s.r.o., Investkredit Bank AG, Representative Office in Bratislava, Slovnaft, a.s., Soitron, a.s., as well as to the British Embassy in Bratislava and the Open Society Institute due to their generous support to this publication. Eugen Jurzyca Project Manager Dušan Zachar Project Coordinator and Editor of the Publication 7 The HESO Project Evaluation of Economic and Social Measures 2005 CONTENTS Members of the HESO Experts´ Committee ................................................ 6 Introduction ............................................................................................. 11 Methodology............................................................................................. 14 Selected Average Foreign Exchange Rates of the Slovak Koruna (SKK).................................16 EVALUATION OF SELECTED MEASURES..................................................... 17 Economic Policy Strategy.......................................................................... 17 Competitiveness Strategy for the Slovak Republic until 2010 (National Lisbon Strategy) .........17 Entry of the Slovak Koruna to the Exchange Rate Mechanism II (fixing the SKK/EUR exchange rate for 2 years for the duration of which the Koruna rate can oscillate within the fluctuation band of ±15%).............................................................................................21 Public Finance .......................................................................................... 26 State Budget for 2006 (state budget deficit – SKK 69bn, fiscal