BRATISLAVA, March 1, (WEBNOVINY) – Economy Minister Juraj Miskov (SaS) confirmed that the Cabinet wants to provide a helping hand to ailing shipyard Slovenske Lodenice Komarno Bratislava (SLKB). “We debated this at the previous cabinet session. We discussed potential assistance from Eximbanka,” the minister said, adding that the Cabinet would propose some solution. “I am not familiar with the content of this paper at present but I am convinced that the Cabinet should deal with the functioning of companies in Slovakia and how to help them without distorting the business environment. I think that some instrument to help the shipyard can be found,” Miskov presented his opinion.
According to Director of Eximbanka’s Department of International Relations and PR Denisa Petrikova, the bank and the shipyard have been in talks since last summer. “Eximbanka has approved a direct loan for Slovenske Lodenice Komarno Bratislava to finance construction of ships as well as the requested bank guarantee. The funds amounting to a few millions of euros have not been drawn,” Petrikova asserted. Eximbanka does not register any new formal request from the shipyard at present. “All variants of the participation of our institution in the co-funding of the ship purchase on part of the client are being consulted continuously. Anyway, active involvement of the shipyard’s owners to resolve the current situation is a must, even in the long run,” Petrikova concluded.
Slovenske Lodenice Komarno Bratislava has recently announced a collective lay-off affecting 300 employees. Head of the trade unions confederation OZ KOVO Emil Machyna warned that the jobless rate in the region would reach almost twenty percent after the lay-off.
SITA