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In this week's Business News: the Czech crown is continuing a remarkable slide; the Finance Ministry has confirmed that plans to sell off Ruzyňe Airport in Prague are being placed on ice; the leader of the main opposition party has accused the government of “doing nothing” to fight the economic woes that are facing the Czech Republic; Czech beer production fell in 2008, following record-breaking levels in 2007 and the country's chief gas provider says that renewed gas supplies from Russia via Ukraine are now fully meeting the needs of Czech

In Business News this week: with Czech industrial output falling by 17.4 percent, the vice-governor of the central bank says growth this year could slow to as low as 0.5 percent; over two thirds of Czech firms say they are finding it harder to get bank loans; the number of foreigners joining the Czech workforce falls by 20 percent; the head of IKEA says the firm will open two new stores in the Czech Republic, including one of its biggest in Europe; and more Czech banks are to introduce smart ATMs.

In this week’s Business News: The Czech Republic’s state debt currently stands at almost one trillion crowns, the prime minister unveils an economic council to help steer the country through the global economic crisis and the gas supplier Česká Plynárenská secures extra deliveries from Norway to offset the impact of the gas crisis.

In this week's Business News: despite economic woes, budget deficit lowest in 11 years; nuclear plant generated record power in 2008; Czechs lured by weak pound, London sales; agriculture in the black and Czechs good at handling money, says report.

In today's Business News: The Czech National Bank cut interest rates by half a point to 2.25 percent this week; Prime Minister Mirek Topolánek has warned against excessive regulation and government intervention during the current global economic crisis; car maker Škoda Auto will halt car production on Friday evening for three weeks; the Tatra company, famous for building trucks and other large vehicles is to begin a series of phased layoffs totalling 1,400 people by the end of next year; the soft-drink company Kofola, maker of a cola drink of the

In this week's Business News: Škoda cuts production as the economic slowdown bites; local police offer jobs to laid off Škoda employees; despite woes, confidence in Czech businesses remains high; the state budget is burdened by pension costs and industrial production decreased by 7.6 percent in October.

In Business News this week: Czechs are spending much less on their Christmas shopping this year than last; the US has put the Czech Republic on a pirate-goods blacklist; unions claim that Škoda Auto is to cut back operations by three percent, and Czech sport is feeling the effects of the global financial crisis.

In Business News this week: the IMF says GDP growth in the Czech Republic is likely to fall below 2 percent next year; the Czech finance minister says if that happens the government has a plan; wage growth in the Czech Republic could be at its lowest level ever in 2009, with a survey suggesting nearly half the country’s firms will not increase wages at all; and real estate sales fall by almost a third.

In Business News this week: the EU has agreed on new agricultural policy, which Czechs do not support; Russian oil firm Lukoil wants to buy a stake in several Czech refineries; a packaging firm scoops the title of Business of the Year; over a half of Czechs find it difficult to get by on their current income, and Czech hoteliers are registering a decline in the number of guests.

In this week's Business News: Is the Czech Republic bucking the trend of the global economic slowdown? The Czech electricity company ČEZ has seen profits go up by forty percent compared to last year; employees of the troubled Karlovarský Porcelán porcelain maker are to go without pay for the month of October; the Prague bourse responded to an upward turn for world markets on Thursday by showing strong gains in early trading of Friday and Czech companies have set aside around 750 million crowns during 2008 for charitable spending.