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In Business News this week: the Czech economy grew by 1.3 percent in the last quarter of 2014; Czech brewer Plzeňský Prazdroj announces record sales for 2014; natural gas sales lowest in the last decade; British developer threatens legal action over shopping mall project; mineral water producer Poděbradka increases its sales by 10 percent.

A Czech engineering company is hoping that the completion of a new Ethiopian brewery will be a calling card for a lot more business on the African continent as it looks to diversify sales out of Europe and the former Soviet Union.

A new bill drafted by the Ministry of Health envisages a ban on smoking in restaurants in the Czech Republic. The legislation would bar smoking in places where food is prepared, which would mean most of the country’s pubs. It was this week sent to other ministries for review, the news site iDnes.cz reported. If it gains the necessary support, the law – which would also require bar operators to carry a non-alcoholic drink cheaper than beer – would come into effect the year after next. Several attempts to ban smoking in Czech hostelries have come nothing over the years.

After the success of its Potrefená husa chain, the Prague-based Staropramen brewery is planning a new network of restaurants under the banner Naše hospoda (Our Pub), Czech news websites have reported.

One of the Czech Republic’s biggest beer producers has just started distributing a new, incredibly strong brew. Indeed, Budějovický Budvar’s B:Cryo is around four times stronger than normal beers. However, some wonder if the drink, meant to be sipped rather than consumed in large quantities, is not just a marketing gimmick.

In Business News this week: Czech ministry says planed EU-US trade deal should help Czech economy; Czech Republic moves up in Ease of Doing Business survey; Czech firm to help build artificial islands in Caspian Sea; beer producer Plzeňský Prazdroj announces layoffs; and one third of Czech travel agencies do not respect obligations to clients.

Prague City Tourism has just launched a million-crown-campaign aimed at attracting more Czech visitors to Prague. The campaign provides a powerful incentive for people to overcome their reluctance to spend money at home: a wide variety of the best beers, special discount offers and good food. I asked Kateřina Pavlítová, Marketing Director at Prague City Tourism, to tell me more about what the campaign has to offer.

Over 4,000 pubs and restaurants and dozens of breweries are taking part in the second annual Day of Czech Beer on Saturday. The hostelries and breweries are teaming up to offer guests special menus and tastings of unusual brews, while brewmasters will make appearances in some locations. The Czech News Agency reported that pub owners hope to create a new tradition of celebrating the country’s “national drink” on the eve of St. Wenceslas Day, a holiday celebrating Czech statehood.

Czech farmers are predicting a slight increase in the hop harvest this year. Hop production is set to go up by five to nine percent, reaching up to 5,800 tonnes. One of the factors that has contributed to the favourable outlook is the fact that the overall area of hop fields has expanded for the first time in 14 years. The traditional Czech crop is now being grown on 4,460 hectares of land.

In Business News this week: Agriculture Ministry to help producers affected by Russian sanctions; Czech unemployment remains unchanged despite 11,000 new jobs; Czech crown falls to five-year low against euro; central bank to curb capital outflow from foreign banks’ Czech subsidiaries; and beer productions rises slightly between January and June.