Rent affordability has been improving  over the long term, as wages have been rising faster than rents and rent growth has been much slower than the increase in residential property prices. Rents fell sharply during the pandemic and then rebounded after the start of the war in Ukraine. Over the past ten years, they have risen by 28%, less than half the 80% increase in apartment prices. Last year, rents rose by only 2%, below inflation, driven by a drop in mortgage rates that

Ľubomír Andrassy, head of the audit authority NKÚ, urged municipalities in eastern Slovakia not to transfer their assets to the VVS Košice water utility and warned against private companies gaining control of critical infrastructure . Municipalities want to transfer assets because they lack funds for maintenance. Concerns have been raised about the activities of businessman Daniel Krátky at VVS, which Andrassy says risk placing the company under the influence of business inte

For the next 30 days, gas stations will be allowed to sell diesel only directly into vehicle fuel tanks  or into a single 10‑liter canister, the government decided. The spending limit for refueling one vehicle will be €400. Self‑service stations and stations unable to comply will be closed. Cars with foreign license plates will pay a higher diesel price than domestic vehicles, based on the average price in neighboring countries. The restrictions, with details to be finalized

Aluminum smelter Slovalco  can resume production this summer if the government commits to a €50m annual subsidy in the form of emission‑allowance refunds, said CEO Milan Veselý. Without the subsidy, it will shut down its current recycling line. Slovalco, which consumes about 8% of Slovakia’s electricity at full production, halted primary aluminum production in 2022 due to high energy prices and low aluminum prices. A restart will also require a long‑term commercial electricit

Opposition parties KDH and Demokrati support the SaS proposal to abolish the financial transaction tax and reinstate a flat income tax rate to replace the current four‑tier system. They also back simplifying VAT, with only food items subject to a reduced rate. The PS, which aims to form a coalition with these three parties after the elections, would also abolish the transaction tax. Support for a flat tax remains uncertain, but the PS wants to reduce labor taxes and simplify

The government plans to launch an assistance scheme for energy‑intensive businesses  that will reimburse half of their electricity bills, up to €50 per MWh, said Economy Minister Denisa Saková. The scheme is to be financed from EU funds intended to support long‑term competitiveness of the economy. EU member states have not reached a compromise on how to address high electricity prices , Saková said after the EU Energy Council meeting. Ministers discussed how to respond to ris

Creditors approved a debt write‑off for electronics e‑shop Andrea Shop  (František Vangel) last summer, but the company has been unable to meet the restructuring plan and is filing for bankruptcy. Immediately after the pandemic, it had €50m in sales and 140 employees, but demand later slumped. In 2023–24, it posted a €3.3m loss. It owes the state €0.3m, and major private creditors include VÚB, ČSOB Leasing, and Whirlpool HA. Vangel’s two Galéria Samsung stores in Bratislava w

Envien  (Ján Sabol), a producer of bio‑components for fuels, acquired a 50% stake in Brazil’s Agropéu Agro Industrial de Pompéu for €52m to expand its biofuel and energy business in South America. Slovakia’s Eximbanka insured a €20m SLSP loan for the acquisition. The Brazilian company, founded in 1981, produces sugar and biofuels from sugar cane. Envien operates in several European countries and in India. ( sita.sk )

The corporate car financial‑leasing market collapsed  last year, when companies signed contracts for only 1,470 cars worth €37m. In 2024, 12,552 cars worth €370m were leased. The main reason is legislative change: before January 2025, such vehicles were taxed as a service, so VAT was paid in monthly installments, but they are now classified as goods and VAT must be paid in full at the start of the contract. Many leasing companies have therefore stopped offering financial leas

This year's FT 1000 ranking of Europe’s fastest‑growing companies for 2021–24 includes two Slovak firms: online barefoot‑shoe retailer Shapen  (Mia Štepanovská) and waste‑management company Sensoneo  (Basila family). Shapen reported €5.4m in sales last year and Sensoneo €15m. The ranking, compiled by the Financial Times, includes six companies from Czechia, eight from Hungary, two from Austria, and 26 from Poland. ( forbes.sk )