Slovakia belongs to the countries with the fastest roads in the world, the study ranked us among roughly 30 countries
Slovakia among the countries with the fastest roads in the world with an average driving speed of 93 kilometers per hour.
Turkey dominated the ranking
This is according to a study by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on the world’s fastest roads, which, based on data from Google Maps in 162 countries, determined the average duration of journeys between large cities that are at least 80 kilometers (50 miles) apart.
“The figure for Slovakia is based on the routes between Bratislava and Žilina, Liptovský Mikuláš, Poprad or Košice, where there are high-quality connections thanks to D1, R1, R2 or I/16,” said the value for money department regarding the results of the study, adding that the methodology does not see regional problems, nor the north-south connection.
“Approximately a quarter of the best countries in the ranking have values above 80 kilometers per hour. In order for us to have fast road connections at the world level, high-quality roads of the first class can significantly help this,” the analysts added.
15 European countries, including Slovakia
According to the study, there are roughly thirty countries in the world with the highest average road speed of 91 to 110 kilometers per hour in the past.
It includes the USA, Canada, Argentina, Chile, French Guiana, as well as fifteen European countries, namely Sweden, Germany, Belgium, France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Austria, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia and Greece.
Turkey, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Oman, South Korea, Malaysia, Morocco, South Africa, Namibia, Botswana and Australia are also on the fastest routes.
However, speed does not include safety
According to the IMF, the fastest roads in the world are in richer economies, the slowest roads are in the poorest countries, which is another obstacle to their inclusive growth.
“It is difficult to distill the quality of roads into a single statistic. For example, speed does not include road safety, the availability of alternative forms of transport such as rail, or congestion during peak times or seasons. In addition, it may not fully capture the challenges of building high-quality roads in the current and difficult terrain,” he informed about the IMF study.
However, according to this institution, they can change policies and planning when evaluating their road infrastructure compared to partner countries and future road investments.
“It can also be extended to speed management on smaller roads, which can be critical for many in rural areas. This can help countries design policies to overcome roadblocks and improve their competitiveness by moving goods faster,” the IMF added.
By how many euros will the minimum wage in Slovakia increase in 2023? A historic agreement is born
Trade unions and employers may reach a joint agreement on increasing the minimum wage in Slovakia for 2023.
This was stated by the general secretary of the Association of Industrial Unions and Transport (APZD), Andrej Lasz, for the SITA agency.
According to him, the initial negotiations indicated that an agreement between employers and trade unions on the amounts of the lowest gross incomes is possible.
The first ever agreement is being drawn up
According to him, the minimum wage for next year could be more than 57 percent of the average gross wage in Slovakia for 2021. It would thus increase from the current 646 euros to more than 691 euros.
“Our proposal for the Trade Union and Transport Association was higher than the 57 percent automatic,” Lasz said. According to him, APZD agrees with the increase in the minimum wage despite the fact that the situation in Slovak industry is very fragile and tense. However, the industry wants to reflect on the difficult situation we are currently facing.
“This has never been done before in history. The minimum wage would thus be set for the first time by an agreement between employers and trade unions, which is the basis of social dialogue,” he said.
The state was not supposed to interfere in the negotiations
The social partners have until July 15 to reach an agreement. “A joint proposal for a minimum wage would be a signal to politicians and the public that through a properly conducted discussion and compromise, it is possible to prevent unnecessary conflicts that permeate society,” Lasz.
He does not see a reason why the state should have interfered in these negotiations, even through a non-competent department. “If the law presupposes an agreement between trade unions and employers, and the state would not reflect on that, it repealed the law as it is now established,” said the general secretary of the APZD.
The secretary of the Republican Union of Employers (RÚZ) Martin Hošták also admitted a possible agreement to increase the lowest gross incomes. “Communication between the social partners is ongoing. I can confirm that it is an effort to reach an agreement between employers and unions for the first time in history,” he told the SITA agency.
Seat height according to the machine
The minimum wage in Slovakia could rise from the current 646 euros to more than 691 euros from the beginning of next year. At the end of June, after the government negotiations, the Minister of Finance Igor Matovič (OĽaNO) conceded.
If the representatives of the employers and the trade unions do not agree on next year’s minimum amount, the lowest gross monthly salary according to the salary from next year will be 691 euros.
“My opinion is that it should be higher,” he said. However, according to him, the coalition partners have not yet discussed this topic. “I assume there will be a discussion,” he said.
According to the applicable legal system, the minimum wage for 2023 should be 57 percent of the average wage in Slovakia for 2021, i.e. 57 percent of the amount of 1,211 euros.
The minimum gross monthly wage in Slovakia has risen by 23 euros to 646 euros since the beginning of this year. Since the government, employers and trade unions did not agree on the amount of the lowest income for this year, a legal mechanism was applied, according to which the minimum wage is 57 percent of the average wage in Slovakia two years ago.
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