MORNING NEWS HIGHLIGHTS - Sunday, June 25, 2023 - 9 a.m.

TASR brings a quick morning overview of the most important events seen in Slovakia on the previous day (Saturday, June 24): BRATISLAVA - Eight Slovak police officers will be sent to Croatia to assist tourists during the summer season, the Police Corps Presidium's spokesperson Denisa Bardyova has informed TASR. "The Slovak police officers will wear their usual uniforms and drive their usual police vehicles, so tourists will easily recognise them. They'll always be accompanied by a Croatian police officer," explained Bardyova. Some Slovak police officers will be placed in Crikvenica regional department and will patrol Crikvenica, Novi Vinodolski, Opatija, Cres, Krk, Mali Losinj, Rab, Baska, Malinska and Moscenicka Draga, while others will be placed in Trogir regional police department and will cover Trogir, Split, Podgora, Tucepi, Brela and Makarska. They will arrive in Croatia at the beginning of July and stay until the end of August. Last year, Slovak police officers sent to Croatia helped Slovak, Czech, Polish, Croatian and various other foreign tourists. They assisted in cases of traffic accidents caused by Slovak tourists, illegal parking and the subsequent towing away of vehicles, disturbances of public order, loss of travel documents, driving licences and money, the arrest of Slovaks accused of crimes or misdemeanours and searches for lost or missing persons. The Safe Tourist Season project helps foreign tourists and aims to prevent criminal activities while boosting traffic safety, border security and safety at sea. It was established in 2006 by the Croatian police. A total of 19 countries are taking part in the project, with Slovakia joining in 2008. Slovak police officers have patrolled Croatian cities during summer seasons ever since. BRATISLAVA - Around 40 percent of Slovaks have taken out a loan or a mortgage in order to procure, construct or reconstruct housing, according to a survey carried out by a company called KRUK Czech Republic and Slovakia aimed at the contract management of financial institutions and corporate clients. Slovaks most often take out loans in productive age. According to the survey, 45 percent of male respondents and 36 percent of female respondents have taken out loans. In comparison to 2021, the number of Slovaks taking out loans has decreased slightly, from 46 percent to 40 percent this year, and the number of respondents with overdue loans and payments has increased only slightly, from 59 percent to 65 percent. Slovaks most often borrow money to buy or renovate housing and to purchase cars. The most commonly borrowed amount ranges from €4,000 to €40,000, which concerns 35 percent of the respondents. Small loans of up to €800 are most often taken by young adults aged 18 to 24, with 35 percent of them doing this. Loans exceeding €40,000 are most often chosen by those aged 25-44. Meanwhile, around 44 percent of people aged 55 to 64 and 31 percent of people aged 65 and above have taken out loans of €4,000 to €40,000. The number of people aged 55-64 and 65 and above that have borrowed money since the previous survey has more than doubled and trebled, respectively. The survey also recorded an increased number of seniors borrowing money to cover the unexpected costs of a family member - from 6 percent to 17 percent. According to the survey, educational level doesn't have an effect on borrowing. The highest numbers of people that have taken out loans live in Bratislava and Presov regions, while the most reluctant to do so reside in Banska Bystrica region. Bratislava, June 24 (TASR) - One third of Slovak companies use electric and hybrid company cars, while another 9 percent are considering using them in the near future, according to a recent survey of 250 Slovak companies carried out by Arval BNP Paribas group. "Overall, we can say that four out of ten Slovak companies do use or are considering using alternative fuel source vehicles within the next three years," stated Arval Slovakia's general director Marian Burian. Arval Slovakia is a leasing company. According to the survey, Slovak companies chose to use such vehicles to help lessen the burden on the environment and improve their company image. "Despite last year's improvement, Slovakia is below the EU average," noted Burian. Approximately six out of ten EU companies use electric and hybrid vehicles, and 77 percent of EU companies plan to use them within the next three years. The companies were also questioned about what they consider to be problems in using alternative fuel source cars. Half of the surveyed companies claimed that the purchase price of these vehicles is too high, while some were concerned about charging capabilities. The use of alternative fuel source working vehicles is even rarer. The survey shows that only 1 percent of the surveyed companies use such vehicles for heavy workloads, and only one in ten companies plans to use them in near future. mf