On 22 June 2020 the Czech Office for the Protection of Competition (Office) published a press release (without publishing the full decision yet) regarding fines imposed for concluding and executing a prohibited cartel agreement regarding train projects Carpathia, Sylvania, and New Carpathia.

If it was possible, 78% of Czechs who have travelled by air at least once in the last two years would like to travel to their favourite foreign destination within two months at the latest, based on the findings of a survey conducted for Prague Airport by the Median agency. At the beginning of June, the survey was conducted on a representative sample of 1,549 respondents over the age of eighteen who had travelled abroad by air at least once in the last 24 months. The survey also showed that 71% of respondents will use air transport to travel abroad as often as or even more than before the current crisis caused by the spread of COVID-19.

In June, consumer prices increased 0.6% mom and 3.3% yoy. Czech inflation thus accelerated significantly. This was due to higher prices of alcoholic beverages and tobacco, where the delayed effect of higher excise tax on cigarettes continued. However, core inflation also increased significantly, rising to 3.5% yoy from the previous 3.3%. According to the CNB, this value represents the inflationary risk of its current forecast. In our opinion, however, current high inflation is only a temporary matter and we expect it to decrease in the second half of this year.

On 26 June 2020, the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MIT) launched the COVID – Rent programme. Applications should be accepted until 30 September 2020. Persons carrying out retail or performing services may apply for the compensation of rent for April to June 2020 up to 50%, or 80% where the lessor is a public institution.