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Current AffairsCzech government agrees to sell off stakes in two coal-mining companies
The government of Prime Minister Vladimir Spidla has decided to undertake
its first major privatisation. On Tuesday, it agreed to sell its stakes in
two Czech coal-mining companies. The cabinet said that the proceeds, worth
almost 5 billion crowns, will be used to cover repairs of roads and
railways as well as the building of new transport infrastructure.
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Press ReviewPress Review
All Friday's papers lead with the VAT bill the lower house of parliament
approved on Thursday. The ruling coalition pushed it through with the
slimmest majority - just one vote - and Pravo's headline calls it a
victory for the government in the lower house.
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Business NewsBusiness News
Czech business confidence picked up in February after a three-month
decline. The Czech foreign trade balance showed its best monthly result
since 1995 with a deficit of 0.2 billion crowns. The Czech Republic will
ask Brussels fight for a lower VAT for restaurants. The former monopoly
Czech fixed-line operator Cesky Telecom has lost tens of thousand of
clients in 2003.
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Current AffairsCzech real estate market finally stabilising
Since the Velvet Revolution the Czech real estate market has experienced
enormous development. Now experts claim that all major changes are over
and prices of new apartments should stay stable. Even Czech accession to
the European Union, they say, should not bring anything new.
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Talking PointCzech society divided over double standard on housing market
Would you like to live in a turn-of-the-century building in the centre of
Prague, with a marble entrance, high ceilings and double-winged doors? No
problem, if you can afford it. The typical monthly rent for a
three-bedroom flat in the historic centre is roughly 30,000 crowns (1,000
euros), almost double the average monthly income in the Czech Republic.
But, believe it or not, there are many lucky tenants who pay ten times
less for the same apartment in the same location, whatever their economic
status.
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ArtsArts news
Welcome to the programme. This week we take you to an unusual exhibition -
a bold and daring endeavour and certainly nothing for the squeamish. But
first of all we bring you the latest in the world of art in the Czech
Republic.
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Business NewsGovernment decides to take control of Aero from Boeing
The Czech government has decided to act to save the troubled aircraft maker
Aero Vodochody, controlled by American Boeing, restructure the company and
find a new strategic partner for it. However, the plan is not without a
catch: although the government holds a majority in Aero, Boeign has a
managerial control and the government cannot terminate their agreement
unilaterally.
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Press ReviewPress Review
The Social Democratic Party, the senior partner in the ruling coalition,
makes the front pages of all main dailies today. While disagreement within
the party over rent and another VAT hike sees Mlada Fronta Dnes lead with
a headline reading "Social Democrats in serious crisis," Lidove Noviny and Pravo choose to celebrate the fact that this disagreement will
most likely result in the prices of water, sewage collection and tickets
to cultural events not being raised.
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Current AffairsArtists up in arms about plans to increase VAT on cultural events
Many well known personalities from the world of Czech culture gathered on
Tuesday to denounce government plans to increase VAT on cultural events
from 5 percent to 19 percent. Among them were actresses Jirina Bohdalova
and Jirina Jiraskova, actors Rudolf Hrusinsky and Tomas Topfer and the
Oscar-nominated director Ondrej Trojan. The venue was provided by the
culture minister, Pavel Dostal, who describes the proposed tax hike as
"nonsense", and has said he will break cabinet ranks and vote
against it.
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Current AffairsCoalition divided over rise in rents
Fourteen years after the end of communist rule the Czechs are still not
living in a free market economy. One of the relics of the communist state
controlled economy that previous governments did not have the courage to
do away with, has come back to haunt the current ruling coalition. It is
called "regulated rents". A measure which guarantees about a
third of Czech households stable, low rents, often in areas where
unfortunate tenants pay several times more for similar flats. While the
parties in the governing coalition are haggling over a ten versus
seven-percent yearly increase, a group of disgruntled citizens has called
on the Czech parliament to remove the double standards on the housing
market once and for all.
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