BRATISLAVA, July 23, (WEBNOVINY) – Whole-factory summer holiday breaks in car companies in Slovakia will mark the summer macroeconomic statistics. The production in Volkswagen and Kia car companies will be stopped for two weeks in late July and beginning of August, and in the PSA factory in Trnava for three weeks in August. This year in comparison to the previous one, car companies will have shorter holidays in July; most of the holidays will fall on August.
July numbers of the industry could reach record high levels thanks to another big player in the economy of Slovakia. „Moreover, to ensure the continuity of orders Samsung company does not plan a whole-factory vacation this year, while it had a two week whole-factory vacation in July last year,“ the analyst of Slovenska Sporitelna Maria Valachyova informed SITA News Agency.
According to Ms. Valachyova, the industrial output can achieve the highest growth, a level of 30 to 35 percent, in July. She also stated that growth might be slower by roughly 10 percentage points in August because vacations and a higher comparative base speak against growth during that month. Last year, the industry recovered relatively quickly in August and September.
Holiday downtime in production of car companies will affect the balance of foreign trade as well. „According to our calculations, a weekly halt in production in all three car companies can reduce Slovak exports by about five percent, thus roughly by EUR 200 million, in particular month,“ ING analyst Eduard Hagara said. This does not mean that the trade balance will worsen in the same volume, since the import of car components will decrease as well. „We estimate that a one-week vacation in all three car companies means a temporary deterioration of the trade balance by EUR 50 million “, Mr. Hagara said.
Volkswagen (VW) Slovakia’s whole plant summer holiday break starts from Monday, July 26. The company will use the two-week halt in production for its annual inspection and maintenance of facilities. „The production lines start running again on Monday, August 9, 2010,“ the spokesman of the car company Vladimir Machalik further informed SITA News Agency.
According to Mr. Machalik, the preparatory works related to the production of the New Small Family series of cars will also take place during the intensive summer holiday break within the whole plant. „Approximately 320 employees of VW Slovakia and its suppliers will participate in them. They will carry out the construction works and installation of first technological equipment,“ Mr. Machalik explained.
Kia Motors Slovakia in Zilina will have the summer holiday break within the whole plant at the same time as VW Slovakia. Unlike in the other two automakers operating in Slovakia, PSA Peugeot Citroen Slovakia in Trnava will have a three-week break this year that will begin on Monday, August 2. Kia Motors and PSA Peugeot Citroen also plan to use the time for maintenance.
SITA