Slovakia’s slide in Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index continues. Last year, it fell 12 places to 59th out of 180 countries, and this year it dropped another two positions . Perceptions of corruption are also worsening amid the current government’s rollback of anti‑corruption measures through legislative changes and shifts within the police, the prosecutor’s office, and the courts. Rankings of neighboring countries (index 0-100, where 100 indicates no co

Danish waste‑management company Marius Pedersen , which is selling its Slovak and Czech branches, has received initial non‑binding offers and will finalize a shortlist of investors within two weeks. Strategic investors (Veolia, Remondis, FCC, Ave) as well as financial ones (Wood&Co) are reportedly interested. The deal is estimated at €0.5–1bn. Last year, the two branches reported combined revenues of €400m and EBITDA of €114m. The sale is driven by tightening waste legislatio

Dánska odpadová firma Marius Pedersen , ktorá predáva svoje pobočky na Slovensku a v Česku, už má prvé nezáväzné ponuky a do dvoch týždňov má byť hotový short list investorov. O aktíva majú údajne záujem strategickí (Veolia, Remondis, FCC, Ave) aj finanční investori (Wood&Co). Hodnota transakcie sa odhaduje na 0,5-1 mld €. Skupina vlani v oboch krajinách vykázala spoločné tržby 400 mil. € a zisk EBITDA 114 mil. €. Predaj je dôsledkom sprísňujúcej sa odpadovej legislatívy a po

Slovensko kleslo aj v najnovšom rebríčku vnímania korupcie, ktorý pripravuje Transparency International. Vlani kleslo o 12 priečok na 59. miesto spomedzi 180 krajín a tento rok kleslo o ďalšie dve miesta . Zhoršuje sa aj vnímanie korupcie, keď súčasná vláda zmenami v legislatíve, ako aj v polícii, na prokuratúre a súdoch, zastavila stíhanie korupcie na najvyšších miestach. Poradie okolitých krajín podľa vnímania korupcie (v zátvorke index 0-100, kde 100 je žiadna korupcia): 2

Environment Minister Tomáš Taraba held talks with Japan’s Nippon Steel  on state support for modernizing its Košice steel mill. “We can find support for the rational decarbonization of U.S. Steel Košice,” he said. Changes are likely to the original plan to replace coal with electricity in two of the three blast furnaces. Taraba said the original plan would have sharply increased production costs and required a new 400–500 MW power plant. The state had been prepared to provide

Peter Šimko, legal representative of two companies owned by Defense Minister Robert Kaliňák  and his long‑time associate, owns 49% of Kaumy through his Austrian company Pann. Kaumy owns several food companies. The remaining 51% is held by Jaroslav Strnad , from whom Slovakia purchases military equipment and with whom Kaliňák signs contracts. Šimko says he and Strnad have known each other for years and therefore do business together. Kaliňák denies any conflict of interest, ev

Konateľ dvoch firiem ministra obrany Roberta Kaliňáka  a jeho dlhoročný spolupracovník Peter Šimko cez svoju rakúsku firmu Pann vlastní 49% vo firme Kaumy, ktorá vlastní viaceré potravinárske firmy. Zvyšných 51% vlastní Jaroslav Strnad , od ktorého Slovensko kupuje vojenskú techniku a zmluvy podpisuje Kaliňák. Šimko tvrdí, že sa so Strnadom poznajú roky a preto spolu podnikajú. Kaliňák odmieta, že by bol v konflikte záujmov, hoci má na Strnada prepojenia aj cez viaceré firmy

Minister životného prostredia Tomáš Taraba rokoval s japonským Nippon Steel  o štátnej podpore pre investície do modernizácie jeho košickej oceliarne. „Vieme nájsť podporu pre racionálnu dekarbonizáciu U.S. Steel Košice,“ uviedol. Zrejme dôjde k zmenám v pôvodnom pláne nahradiť uhlie elektrinou v dvoch zo súčasných troch vysokých peciach. Podľa Tarabu by pôvodný plán výrazne predražil tamojšiu oceľ a vyžadoval by si novú elektráreň s výkonom 400-500 MW. Z tejto investície za

Deutsche Telekom IT Solutions  laid off 150 of 3,800 employees at its Košice branch last summer. These were lower value‑added positions, some replaced by AI and others moved to India. The company is currently hiring 100 senior‑level employees. ( sme.sk )

Germany’s Nordzucker is closing the Považský cukor sugar factory  in Trenčianska Teplá, leaving Slovakia with only one sugar factory out of the ten that existed in 1989. Another German company, Südzucker, plans to increase output by 20–30% at its plant in Sereď. Nordzucker will convert its site into a logistics center for Slovakia and southeastern Europe. Half of the 200 employees will lose their jobs. The closure is attributed to falling sugar prices in Europe and declining