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Czechs collected more than 6.6 billion crowns worth of mushrooms and fruits in the country’s forests in 2017. In all, people picked 41,300 tonnes, which is 1.5 billion tonnes more than in the previous year. The news was reported by the website e15.cz on Friday, citing the annual report by the Czech University of Life Sciences.

Czech company Škoda Transporation has won a tender to supply 80 trams to the German public transport company Rhein-Necker-Verkehr (RNV), which operates public transport in the Rhein-Necker region in south-west Germany. The first vehicle is expected to start operating in 2021.

Average mortgage rates in the Czech Republic ceased climbing in May on the back of banks’ springtime campaigns to attract new clients. Meanwhile the overall number of mortgages signed indicates that the market is cooling down, iHned.cz reported.

The Czech company Chemoprojekt, based in Ústí nad Labem in north Bohemia, is set to launch production of biodiesel made from waste frying oil, the daily Hospodářské noviny reported on Tuesday. It will be the first company in the country to introduce production of so-called second-generation biofuels.

Czech Post has a new director general. Freshly-installed chief Roman Knap has been tasked with cutting costs but also raising salaries at the beleaguered postal service, which has one of the world’s densest branch networks.

The world-renowned Czech piano maker Petrof last year recorded a turnover to the tune of 245 million crowns, which is an increase by nine percent on the previous year.

A government VAT bill will lead to Czech Television and Czech Radio losing a significant chunk of their annual budgets. However, the Ministry of Finance says the amendment will end a discrepancy between Czech law and European Union legislation.

Czech restaurant and hotel owners are struggling with a major shortage of skilled workers, the daily Hospodářské noviny reported on Wednesday. With the tight labour market and growing number of new restaurants, both finding and keeping employees has become increasingly more complicated and some businesses have even been forced to close down.

In response to numerous complaints with regard to abuse of the Czech visa system in Ukraine, the Czech consulate in Lvov has moved to simplify and speed up the process. Steps have been taken to root out corruption by local middlemen who blocked the registration system, making it virtually impossible for anyone else to sign up for months. Applicants will now be able to book by phone, eliminating the long waiting lines outside the consulate and the waiting time for a visa should be reduced from 130 days to 75.

The Czech National Bank is due on Tuesday to recommend stricter lending conditions over rising concerns that a potential shock to the economy could lead to widespread defaults on mortgages, despite rising incomes and low unemployment.