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The minister of agriculture has proposed exempting stall holders at farmers’ market from a new electronic cash register system that he says could drive some of them out of business. However, the finance minister says his cabinet colleague has left it too late to raise the issue.

Czech carmaker Škoda Auto is likely to present the new, modernised version of its third-generation Škoda Octavia already at the beginning of next year, the Czech News Agency reported on Friday, citing sources from within the company.

Soon in the Czech Republic it should be a little easier to get from the proverbial A to B: the country is set to increase its network of highways by 15.6 kilometres, a big jump from 2015 when highways were not increased at all, according to the Czech News Agency.

The Negrelli viaduct in Prague, the first railway bridge to be built across the Vltava River in 1850, is set to undergo extensive reconstruction, in order to create a link from the city centre to Prague Airport.

An aircraft factory in the Moravian town of Kunovice is to remain in the Czech Republic. There had been fears that it would be moved to Russia but after talks with its Russian owners on Monday morning, the Czech minister of industry announced that the plant – and 200 jobs – would not be going anywhere.

Czech companies are beginning to sell products through major internet retailers like Amazon or China’s Alibaba. According to Czech Radio, domestic companies selling through international e-commerce retailers now number in the dozens.

The Czech Republic’s economic boom has left many companies short-staffed and desperately seeking employees in order to be able to meet demand. Despite the fact that Czech labour offices currently register 390 thousand unemployed, companies are increasingly dependent on foreign labour.

The Czech minister of agriculture has presented a plan aimed at halting the abandonment of small villages. The scheme would offer incentives to both employers and employees in municipalities with a population of 500 or less. However, the minister of finance takes a dim view of the measures.

The popular Czech soft drinks producer Kofola ČeskoSlovensko confirmed this week its latest acquisition to its broadening portfolio, this time the Croatian brand-name mineral water Studenac, owned by Podravka. The two firms signed an agreement on the sale but did not release details about the amount. The transaction is to be completed by the end of the year, according to news site iDnes.

It appears that old-age pensioners in the Czech Republic will be able to look forward to CZK 300 more a month starting from next year. The coalition parties have taken potshots at each other over who can take the credit, though ahead of a vote this week they are in broad agreement on the increase.