The Dôvera health insurer has criticized the Health Ministry’s plan to increase funding for emergency services that are among few profitable activities in the system. The ministry argues that the payments have not been increased since 2013 and they no longer cover all costs. It proposed to increase payments by €7m annually. The largest chain of emergency services, Falck, reported a €1.4m net profit last year, and the state-owned service in Košice a €0.5m net profit. (HN/1)

The city of Bratislava reached an agreement with Siemens for it to run the city public lights for €1.9m in 2018. Back in May, the city called a 20-year tender totaling €144m to run the lights but has moved the deadline four times already. The previous 20-year contract with Siemens had run out in 2016. (teraz.sk)

Mesto Bratislava sa dohodlo s firmou Siemens, že za 1,9 mil. € sa bude starať o verejné osvetlenie v meste aj budúci rok. Mesto už v máji vyhlásilo tender na 20-ročnú prevádzku osvetlenia s predpokladanou cenou 144 mil. €, ale termín ukončenia sa už 4-krát posunul. Predchádzajúca 20-ročná zmluva so Siemensom sa skončila už v roku 2016. (teraz.sk)

Zdravotná poisťovňa Dôvera kritizuje plány Ministerstva zdravotníctva (MZ) navýšiť platby pre záchranky, ktoré patria medzi pár ziskových činností v zdravotnom systéme. Podľa MZ ale súčasná výška platieb, nezmenená od roku 2013, neodráža náklady záchraniek a tak navrhlo navýšenie platieb o 7 mil. € ročne. Najväčšia sieť záchraniek Falck vlani vykázala čistý zisk 1,4 mil. € a štátna košická záchranka čistý zisk 0,5 mil. €. (HN/1)

The Bratislava plant of Volkswagen keeps expanding. This year, it plans to increase its workforce by 1,400 from last year’s 12,300, and in 2018, its payroll should top 14,000. In September, the plant launched a new €800m car body plant for the Porsche Cayenne model that is now completely made in Bratislava. Previously, it had been sent for final assembly in Germany. The plant’s area tops 2m sqm. Next year, it will launch the production of a new generation of the VW Touareg an

The international NGO Computer & Communications Industry Association and Belgian-based Allied for Startup are protesting a Slovak Income Tax Act revision that slapped a tax on digital platforms not residing in Slovakia. They argue the new tax is a significant barrier for start-ups that violates the principle of territoriality and freedom of service provision. The Finance Ministry responded that the revision protects Slovakia’s interests and is in line with EU legislation. Gra

Bratislavský závod Volkswagenu stále naberá ľudí. V tomto roku plánuje zvýšiť počet zamestnancov o 1.400 z vlaňajších 12.300 a budúci rok ich počet prekročí 14.000. V septembri spustil do prevádzky novú karosáreň za 800 mil. € pre model Porsche Cayenne, ktorý sa teraz kompletne montuje na Slovensku. Dovtedy sa autá kompletizovali v Nemecku. Plocha závodu tak prekročila 2 mil. m2. V budúcom roku začne závod vyrábať novú generáciu VW Touareg a nové Audi Q8. Vyrába aj Audi Q7 a

Medzinárodná nezisková organizácia Computer & Communications Industry Association a belgický Allied for Startup protestujú proti nedávnej novele Zákona o dani z príjmov, ktorá zavádza daň na digitálne platformy, ktoré u nás nemajú sídlo. Argumentujú, že ide o významnú bariéru pre začínajúcich podnikateľov, ktorá porušuje zásadu teritoriality a slobodu poskytovania služieb. Podľa Ministerstva financií ale zákon chráni záujmy Slovenska a je v súlade s právom EÚ. Poradenská firm

Most of the changes in the recently passed revision to the Income Tax Act is restrictive and aimed against aggressive tax planning, writes Renáta Bláhová, partner at BMB Leitner, on her blog. The measures include taxation of Slovak owners of foreign companies, taxing the exit of companies, restricting tax neutrality for corporate reorganizations, and a 35% withholding tax on payments where the final beneficiary is unidentified. Other changes in the revision are pro-business,

As many as 40% of pharmacies still don’t have the card reader they need for dispensing drugs after January 1, when the new eHealth system is launched. Patients won’t get their prescription drugs entered into the new electronic system, and will have to seek pharmacies that have the reader. The Health Ministry says it is working on solving the problem and all pharmacies will get the readers in January. (SME/1)