Morning News: Friday, January 27, 2023

Refugees from Ukraine who found jobs in the Czech Republic paid roughly CZK 8 billion into the state welfare system last year, Labor and Social Affairs Minister Marian Jurecka (KDU-CSL) told journalists after a government meeting yesterday.

Fuel prices in Czechia are going back up, after a two-week decline. The average price of the best-selling petrol, Natural 95, rose by 77 halers to CZK 36.99 per litre this week. And drivers are now paying an average of CZK 37.41 per litre for diesel, which is 12 halers more than a week ago.

The koruna continues to strengthen, and it settled below CZK 23.8 per euro. The Czech currency is thus the strongest against the European one since the end of July 2008. According to Jakub Seidler, chief economist at the Czech Banking Association, it may still strengthen further, but the outlook is for it to return above CZK 24.5 per euro.

Four Czechs are among the nominees for the US Academy Awards (better known as the Oscars) this year: make-up artist Linda Eisenhamerova, special effect artists Viktor Muller and Kamil Jafar and sound mixer Viktor Prasil, all for their work on the film All Quiet on the Western Front. The nominations were released on Tuesday.

The Creditas investment group of financier Pavel Hubáček has bought a 100% stake in the British part of the energy group InterGen. The group was previously owned by Sev.en Global Investments of billionaire Pavel Tykač together with Chinese partners.