People in Nošovice are afraid that they will not receive the promised 100,000 CZK

Nošovice (Frýdecko-Místecko) - Residents of the two small northern Moravian villages of Nošovice and Nižní Lhoty are watching the bribery scandal at Hyundai Motor with concern. People from these villages are afraid that the police investigation into the highest officials of the South Korean car manufacturer could lead to the cancellation of Hyundai's promised investment in Nošovice, forcing them to part ways with the prospect of having 100,000 crowns in their accounts.
The Moravian-Silesian regional office promised to pay this money in two installments to each household in Nošovice and Nižní Lhoty as compensation for the difficulties associated with the construction of the Nošovice plant.
"People will be disappointed if the car manufacturer does not come to Nošovice. Some have already taken out loans because they needed to buy something. They expected construction to begin in May, and they would be able to draw half of the 100,000 upon the start of construction. They will cry that they don’t have that money. The government should mainly consider whether it will wait for Hyundai, or since so much money has already been invested in land purchases, it should offer it to another investor," said a woman from Nošovice, who wished to remain anonymous; her husband agreed with her.
Another woman, who hesitated for a moment before introducing herself as Jiřina, also wishes for the investment to proceed. "We are shocked at what kind of scandal this has turned into. Some people were harmed, had to leave their homes, and suddenly it won't be here?," she wonders.
According to the spokesperson for the regional office, Šárka Swiderová, people do not need to fear that they will not receive the promised money. "The region will of course keep all the promises made to the people, and we still believe that it will be Hyundai that will build in the Nošovice zone," she added. According to the latest reports, the Korean prosecutor's office wants to imprison Hyundai's top executive. According to analysts, this could lead to a vacuum in management and ultimately jeopardize the company's expansive plans.
No official reports have arrived yet indicating that the investment will not take place, neither to government representatives, the Moravian-Silesian region, nor to the affected municipalities. "Therefore, I do not want to speculate whether the corruption scandal could jeopardize the investment and what would happen if Hyundai did not carry out the construction of the plant in the Nošovice industrial zone," said the mayor of Nižní Lhoty, Marie Mališová, to ČTK. The mayor of Nošovice, Dana Tichá, expressed a similar sentiment.
The regional governor, Evžen Tošenovský, is convinced that there is nothing more that can be done to ensure that the largest Korean investment in the Czech Republic is not endangered. "In my opinion, the government is doing the maximum possible at this moment. The situation in Korea is unclear, chaotic, changing every hour, and I really do not think that more could be done at this time. On the other hand, I believe that the government will keep all its promises to our region - especially those regarding the completion of roads and railways," the governor told ČTK.
The preparation and construction of the Nošovice zone has already cost nearly 600 million crowns. More than half a billion has been distributed among 170 land and house owners. This money was released by the state, and the local agricultural cooperative has already received the first 20 million crowns. According to the governor, a potential change of investor would not mean any financial loss. "There are also other large investors who want plots larger than 100 hectares," he added without details.
The seventh largest car manufacturer in the world, Hyundai, plans to invest up to a billion euros (up to 29 billion crowns) in the Czech Republic. The South Koreans intend to start construction of the first factory buildings in Nošovice this September. The new Hyundai factory is expected to begin operations in 2008 and directly employ around 3,000 people, with up to 12,000 more expected to find jobs with suppliers and in services. The Nošovice plant is expected to produce 300,000 passenger cars annually.