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A government's proposed fiscal reform - too radical or too mild? The unemployment rate drops below 10 percent for the first time this year. The Czech industry records the quickest output growth in six months. The Plzensky Prazdroj brewery is to double the production of its famous premium brand Pilsner Urquell.

In this week's economics report we take a look at the current labor dispute at the national air carrier Czech Airlines (CSA). As if the war in Iraq and the fear of SARS around the world isn't enough to shrink business for airlines, CSA now has to deal with a labor dispute between management and the pilots' association. The dispute between the two parties took a turn for the worse last Wednesday when pilots' commenced a work slow-down because of a deadlock in negotiations. The major roadblock is the issue of new contracts for CSA pilots', the pilots'

The focus of this weeks economics report is the possibilities for Czech firms to participate in the reconstruction of a post-war Iraq. Iraq's infrastructure has been devastated by the recent war and over a decade of crippling sanctions which has left the country in dire need of assistance. The Czech Republic has signalled that it wants to play a role in rebuilding the country; after all the former Czechoslovakia played a large role in the development of the country's infrastructure and overall economic development. One example of this is the petrochemical

In this weeks economics report: Czech foreign trade deficit increases. Czech Republic likely to cut corporate income tax, increase sin taxes. National Property Fund dismisses one-third of staff ahead planned closure in 2006. Selection of adviser for Unipetrol sale commenced. Tractor producer Zetor back in black. And many more.

In this weeks Economics Report we look at the technology sector in the Czech Republic, and more importantly, the development of this sector. Although the technology sector in the Czech Republic is smaller than those in Western Europe and North America, the industry has been experiencing healthy growth in this country at a time when things have not been going so smoothly for many IT firms elsewhere.

Revenue offices are to overlook fines and interest on old tax arrears in an attempt to secure extra revenues for the state budget. Czech producer prices grew 0.3 % month-on-month in March, drop 0.4 % year-on-year. The volume of payments with bankcards in the Czech Republic rose by 84 percent in 2002. Both the ruling coalition and the opposition have been presenting proposals for changes in the tax system lately with little success. Czech retail sales rose by a stronger than expected 4.3 percent year-on-year in February. The government is planning

In this weeks Economics Report we take a look at one of the most important government agencies which has been working to restructure the Czech economy for more then a decade. The Czech Consolidation Agency, or CKA, has a mission to reduce the volume of loss making and other assets of the companies it takes on for restructuring and to carry this out in the shortest possible time and at the lowest possible cost. The agency has been vital in ensuring the privatisation of a number of formally state owned companies.

Czech consumer prices decreased by 0.1 percent in March, extending the deflation period to the third month in succession. The government has revealed ambitious transport infrastructure development plans. The Czech unemployment declined slightly in March but experts warn there might be a latent upward trend. The European Commission predicts that economic growth in the ten EU candidate countries this year will be weaker than expected in 2003. Contradictory expectation of development of real estate prices. EU accession should bring millions of new

The Czech government has delayed the planned sale of national power producer CEZ until after it has drafted a new national energy policy. The Czech Senate has approved a new law aimed at curbing tobacco promotion. The European Central Bank has urged EU membership applicants to get their economies in shape before joining eurozone. The Czech cabinet has scrapped a contract awarded to a private company to build and operate a highway in North Moravia.

Does a country need to advertise itself to attract tourists or is it a task for private tourist industry to attract visitors? Who are Prague's main competitors? And what is the Czech Republic doing to promote itself in a situation when revenues from tourism plunged so deep in 2002 as to cut one percent off GDP growth? In this week's edition, we talk to a representative of the Czech Tourist Authority in London about how the Czech Republic tries to present itself to tourists abroad and what kind of visitors it would like to attract.