Czechs land duty-free border reprieve

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The closure of border duty-free stores in the Czech Republic, scheduled for the end of 2001, has been postponed until 2003 following a parliamentary vote, TRW has learned. But the vote still faces ratification in the country's senate. The two-year extension affects only border stores, many of which still exist on the border with Austria and Germany.

A decision on the future of duty-free stores at airports and other channels will be made once a final date is set for the Czech Republic's accession to the EU. One Prague airport retailer told TRW: "We will continue to operate our stores as duty-free stores, but once we enter the EU, we expect to have to convert to duty-paid or Travel Value stores."