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28th November 2019 / Competitiveness / Digital Agenda

CTO: 34% of young and middle-aged Czechs use Internet daily

Concerning use of Internet banking and social networks, Czechia is on or over the average of EU28. Popularity of portable devices and online shopping also grows. 34% of young and middle-aged Czechs use Internet daily. The majority of households have Internet connection, Czech Telecommunication Office announced.

28th November 2019 / Competitiveness / Transport, Infrastructure and Tourism

PCB: Conferences in Prague Mark Velvet Revolution of 1989 and 30 Years of Freedom

The events of 1989, which started on 17 November in Prague, led to key changes in most spheres of the society of what was then Czechoslovakia. Among other things, they allowed citizens to travel abroad freely, and they also opened Prague to thousands of experts from various scientific, industrial, artistic or business sectors, who arrived in the metropolis of Czechoslovakia to attend congresses and conferences.

27th November 2019 / Competitiveness / Transport, Infrastructure and Tourism

CMS 2019 Infrastructure Index

Central and Eastern Europe is brimming with opportunities in renewables, airport expansions and electrification of transport as the race towards green leadership and proactive government policies gather pace. These are among the findings published in the 2019 CMS Infrastructure Index: Bridging Continents.

The latest report by international law firm CMS in conjunction with inspiratia, analyses data against six criteria to create a guide to the most attractive destinations for infrastructure investment in the world. This year’s report confirms that a crucial point has been reached in the global transition into greener, smarter and more sustainable investments and assets.

26th November 2019 / Good governance / Legal Reform and Transparency

Survey conducted by EY and the AMSP ČR (Czech Association of SMEs and Sole Traders: While bribery is no longer a requirement to obtain a public contract, corruption is still considered a major problem in the Czech Republic

35% of Czech entrepreneurs and managers stated it is not possible to get a public contract without a bribe
For 81% of respondents, corruption is a widespread phenomenon and 4 out of 10 respondents consider corruption to be a barrier to business
Every fifth respondent had been asked for a bribe in connection with a public contract

Some 30 years after the Velvet Revolution, corruption remains a major problem for Czech entrepreneurs and managers. According to one fifth of respondents, the government's anti-corruption efforts have actually decreased over the past 5 years. This is based on a recent survey conducted by EY in cooperation with the Czech Association of SMEs and Sole Traders (AMSP CR) among 600 entrepreneurs and managers in the Czech Republic.

25th November 2019 / Competitiveness / Energy and Environment

IEA: Energy Efficiency 2019: Global energy efficiency improvements are slowing

Energy efficiency has tremendous potential to boost economic growth and avoid greenhouse gas emissions, but the global rate of progress is slowing – a trend that has major implications for consumers, businesses and the environment. IEA's Energy Efficiency 2019 examines in detail the reasons for this recent deceleration in efficiency progress and also includes a special focus on the ways in which digitalisation is transforming energy efficiency and increasing its value.