http://radio.cz/en Latest articles on 'Business' - business in the Czech Republic en Fri, 25 May 2012 16:34:09 +0200 Fri, 25 May 2012 16:34:09 +0200 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Radio Prague CMS 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Radio Broadcasting cr@radio.cz (Cesky Rozhlas) webmaster@radio.cz (CRo Webmaster) http://radio.cz/en/article/148165 In Business News this week: Czech government approves austerity measures but might run into problems securing EU funds; PM Nečas speaks of the consequences a Greek exit from the eurozone would have on the Czech Republic; the biggest Czech betting firm Tipsport buys its competitor; Czechs smoke less and most of them want a ban on smoking in public spaces; Czechs lie in their CVs more than other nations. Fri, 25 May 2012 16:34:09 +0200 urn:uuid:a9ddc607-4d91-547c-9837-712afec9f3f3 http://radio.cz/en/article/148049 Czech farmers on Wednesday will be taking part in a planned protest against the government’s decision to slash tax refunds on biofuel. The move by the government – part of broad austerity measures – is expected to leave agricultural producers in difficult spot: some 1.5 billion crowns lighter. The protest will see hundreds of farmers roll out their tractors on roads across the country, with the exception of highways and the Czech capital. Tue, 22 May 2012 15:42:25 +0200 urn:uuid:2d7bc030-4a6b-5d56-93a4-8d63f49f6c23 http://radio.cz/en/article/148013 As managing partner for the central and southeast Europe region for the global accounting giant Ernst & Young, Magdalena Souček has frequently topped lists of the most influential women in Czech business. With her doctor parents coming and going from Czechoslovakia, she spent part of her childhood and youth in Western Europe before studying in the U.S. and beginning her career there with Arthur Andersen. But when Communism fell in her native country, she soon returned to set up a Czech branch of the firm – at a time when even basic amenities were hard to get. Mon, 21 May 2012 11:00:16 +0200 urn:uuid:a38ad6a5-572e-5caa-bb2c-a8cf6be688cc http://radio.cz/en/article/147955 In Business News: the Czech economy contracts by 1.0 percent in the 1Q, the second-worst result among 19 EU states; the country’s ombudsman slams the government’s social system reforms, saying they have left thousands on the brink of poverty; the price of Czech garlic is set to go up; Czechs are budgeting more carefully and buying less when shopping in supermarkets than in previous years. Fri, 18 May 2012 10:50:24 +0200 urn:uuid:89f7b74b-6532-5880-a45c-4bafa29cc026 http://radio.cz/en/article/147937 The Czech Constitutional Court has upheld the government’s tax on solar power, introduced retroactively last year in an effort to cool the solar boom in the country. Photovoltaic firms complain the tax damages their business while foreign investors into the business are threatening to initiate international arbitrations against the country. But the court said their interests cannot be superimposed over those of Czech citizens. Thu, 17 May 2012 16:13:42 +0200 urn:uuid:932d9a07-b83d-5fac-891c-9e71477fabbd http://radio.cz/en/article/147911 Over the last couple of years, art sales in the Czech Republic have seen a decline. But this year is different, and it’s not just the record sale of a František Kupka painting that did the trick. The market now attracts collectors who are ready to look beyond the well-established segment of modern art that has topped sales so far. Wed, 16 May 2012 16:10:23 +0200 urn:uuid:d57a53ee-4c03-5961-beef-27cada312dfa http://radio.cz/en/article/147881 Czech shareholders who lost millions of crowns to controversial businessman Viktor Kožený in the 1990s, have a strong chance of getting back partial compensation. There is a new possibility that the equivalent of around half a billion crowns gained from the sale of Mr Kožený’s Aspen chalet in the US, could be transferred to the Czech Republic. Shareholders have 10 days in which to file a formal request. Tue, 15 May 2012 15:38:44 +0200 urn:uuid:82d5e5f6-04ca-580d-8c6a-8e63c517a85f http://radio.cz/en/article/147790 In this week’s business news: the Greek ambassador to the Czech Republic has said that Greece must remain in Eurozone, the daily Lidové noviny writes that ČEZ may loose up to ten billion Czech crowns due to investments into Albania’s power grid, Russia’s oil delivery to Czech Republic is likely to fall short of target in May, the Finance Ministry is selling state bonds, and Czech Railways expands its fleet. Fri, 11 May 2012 12:07:54 +0200 urn:uuid:cabc79c4-6d72-55c2-b40a-ec593c7cfacd http://radio.cz/en/article/147741 Czech lawmakers have been consistently criticized for being prone to lobbying, for instance when it comes to the regulation of gambling, roadside advertising and smoking in public spaces. As part of its efforts to clamp down on corruption, the Czech government is now working on a bill that should regulate lobbying. If approved, this law would define lobbying and require lobbyists to register. RP discussed the proposed legislation with James de Candole, a Prague-based consultant and lobbyist, who believes it will bring no significant improvements. Wed, 09 May 2012 16:37:11 +0200 urn:uuid:9fb63683-a96f-5f38-97d5-b6ac06e930b8 http://radio.cz/en/article/147700 The Botanicus chain of stores offering herbal soaps, extracts and delicacies is a Czech, and growing international, success story. Most tourists will have probably bought something from one of their outlets in the country. The small business was founded in the early 1990’s after the restitution of a family farm around 40 kilometres north-east of Prague. That has become the centre for the business and a tourist attraction with more than 50,000 visitors a year. One of the firm’s co-founders Dana Hradecká explained the roots of the original inspiration for the business. Mon, 07 May 2012 16:30:57 +0200 urn:uuid:ace71874-500e-59ec-b7bd-8b2bb8332d5b http://radio.cz/en/article/147641 The procurement market sank by 100 billion in 2011; the production of passenger cars hits a record; farmers prepare for blockades; the Finance Ministry forecasts nearly three percent growth for 2015; the Central bank keeps interest rate at record low. Fri, 04 May 2012 16:03:10 +0200 urn:uuid:6c85edb0-1322-571d-9b6b-9087cf437d3f http://radio.cz/en/article/147609 The Czech Republic will see another round of protests against the government’s austerity measures. Agriculture industry leaders on Wednesday announced they would block roads and slow traffic in protest of plans to cancel tax rebates on diesel for agricultural firms, and a planned introduction of a tax on wine. Thu, 03 May 2012 16:35:14 +0200 urn:uuid:5098338c-d7be-5bef-ae7e-cc29261de8e2 http://radio.cz/en/article/147540 Czech beer is considered part of national heritage and has long been just as popular abroad as it has been at home. But over the last several years, beer consumption in the Czech Republic has been on a slow but steady decline which prompted all major breweries to look for new ways of attracting the pampered Czech beer drinker. In our beer special today, we examine a new hit on the market – low-alcohol fruit beers, or radlers, put out by three biggest beer producers – Pilsner Urquell, Staropramen, and Heineken. Tue, 01 May 2012 02:01:00 +0200 urn:uuid:e9289d75-0b5c-5ade-bb71-9d351dc51777 http://radio.cz/en/article/147478 The Czech Republic wins arbitration case against British BCD over toxic cleanup; Tyres producer Mitas opens first plant in the USA; Škoda Auto raised first quarter profit by 11.8%; Energy Regulatory Office to halt support for new renewable energy sources; Czech claims on other countries total 22.35 billion Fri, 27 Apr 2012 16:11:14 +0200 urn:uuid:3abfba0b-54f9-55e7-9baf-5d51c27b26c4 http://radio.cz/en/article/147410 The Czech Republic spends around 430 million crowns a year on foreign aid, financing various development projects in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ethiopia, Moldova, Mongolia and other countries. The government is increasingly trying to involve Czech firms and businesses in the process so that they find a foothold on local markets where they could continue doing business even after the government-sponsored projects finish. But Věra Venclíková, the head of the Czech Business Platform for Foreign Cooperation says that getting Czech firms interested is no easy job. Wed, 25 Apr 2012 00:00:00 +0200 urn:uuid:d60b8931-c49c-5938-bea0-62402fd40a3d http://radio.cz/en/article/147301 The government approves the final draft of the state financial statement; problems with EU funding could increase the state budget by nearly 33 billion; the Finance Ministry is set to issue household bonds pegged to the inflation rate; Czech arms manufacturers can now compete for US tenders; Czechs are drinking less beer than ever before. Fri, 20 Apr 2012 15:59:01 +0200 urn:uuid:6f4ceaf3-3efa-5669-885a-4fc9e7582c97 http://radio.cz/en/article/147227 In its ongoing effort to find ways of lowering the state budget deficit, the Czech government has announced that it is planning to introduce a new tax on wine. The country’s winemakers are enraged and believe that this step will lower the competitiveness of domestic vintners, while giving foreign producers an edge on the Czech market. Wed, 18 Apr 2012 16:09:40 +0200 urn:uuid:1009c367-772f-5053-a6e9-236fd60f6434 http://radio.cz/en/article/147220 After years of growth, the real estate market in the Czech capital has seen a slow but steady decline, with decreasing prices and many more new listings having turned Prague property into a buyer’s market. One factor behind the change is waning interest from foreigners to invest into real estate in the Czech capital. However, some parts of Prague have become more attractive for Czechs and foreigners alike, while others remain popular primarily with foreign clients. Wed, 18 Apr 2012 15:24:15 +0200 urn:uuid:2613ce27-4fbd-5448-98bc-8afc7312bad4 http://radio.cz/en/article/147103 In Business News this week: the government approves a far-reaching fiscal consolidation plan to reduce the state budget deficit, a drop in deliveries of Russian crude oil to the Czech Republic triggers speculation of a plan to up the price and Škoda Auto posts record sales. Fri, 13 Apr 2012 14:28:21 +0200 urn:uuid:855b9287-1459-56db-930b-bd8a8207de88 http://radio.cz/en/article/147033 In this edition of Marketplace, we go to an actual outdoor market. We braved the cold Easter weather this past Saturday and visited one of the city’s popular farmers markets, on Prague’s Jiřího z Poděbrad square. Wed, 11 Apr 2012 13:34:04 +0200 urn:uuid:132291a3-a68f-51a1-bfaf-d68980598c67