Státní tiskárna cenin

Státní tiskárna cenin, s.p.
Company typeState-owned enterprise
IndustrySecurity printing
Founded1953
FounderMinistry of Finance of the Czech Republic[1]
HeadquartersRůžová 943/6, 110 00 Prague 1,
Prague
,
Czech Republic
Key people
Tomáš Hebelka, MSc[2] (CEO)
ProductsBanknotes
Security papers
Government documents
Identity documents
Printed forms
Revenue1,228,424,000 Czech koruna (2018) 
231,579,000 Czech koruna (2018) 
192,477,000 Czech koruna (2018) 
Total assets2,002,404,000 Czech koruna (2018) 
OwnerCzech Republic
Number of employees
391 (2018) 
Websitewww.stc.cz

Státní tiskárna cenin, s.p. (State Printing Works for Securities) is a state-owned enterprise providing printing and polygraphic services, specializing in banknotes and other items requiring secure features.

Products

The company produces:[3]

  • Banknotes
  • Identification documents — personal IDs, passports, driver's licenses, and other government-issued credentials.
  • Securities — shares, government bonds, debentures, certificates, etc.
  • Plastic cards — cards with contact/contactless chips and security features.
  • Other security printed items, such as:
  • Tax stamps (e.g., alcohol and tobacco excise stamps)
  • Motorway vignette stickers
  • Travel tickets
  • Vouchers and certificates
  • Meal vouchers, coupons
  • Blank forms and other secure documents typically those with anti-forgery features

History

The impetus for establishing a domestic security printing works arose with the creation of Czechoslovakia and the need to print new banknotes.[4] The first banknotes printed within Czechoslovak territory were issued in denominations of 1, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, and 500 koruna. Higher denominations of 1,000 and 5,000 koruna were printed abroad. As no specialized security printer existed in Czechoslovakia in 1919, printing was carried out in standard industrial printing houses.

Banknotes of 1, 5, and 50 koruna were printed at the printing works of Andreas Haase (cs; de) in Prague. The 10 koruna banknote was printed partly at the Otto & Růžička graphic studio in Pardubice and partly at Haase's printing works. Another printer involved was Národní politika in Prague, which produced the 100 koruna denomination and part of the 20 koruna issue. The remainder of the 20 koruna issue, along with the entire 500 koruna issue, was printed by the Czech Graphic Union in Prague.[5]

To ensure comprehensive domestic production at the required technical level, it was decided to construct a new centralized banknote printing facility.[4] Architect Josef Sakař (cs) designed the new printing works built between 1924 and 1927[6] and production began in January 1928.[4] By the end of 1928, the printing works employed 133 workers.[4]

In 1937, the printing works received an honorary diploma at the International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts in Paris for the production of the 1,000 koruna banknote designed by Max Švabinský.[4] After World War II, the printing works produced paper banknotes as well as other securities and identity documents for domestic use and for foreign customers.[4] From 1 July 1950 until 30 June 1953, following the establishment of the State Bank of Czechoslovakia, the printing works functioned as a unit of the central bank.[4] On 1 July 1953, an independent enterprise was established under the name Státní tiskárna cenin, assuming the responsibilities of the original printing works.[4]

During the Cold War, STC undertook a number of foreign banknote contracts for Soviet-aligned governments. Among its most frequently cited international assignments was the production of Cuban peso banknotes for Cuba’s August 1961 monetary reform following the Cuban Revolution. These replaced existing banknotes in a rapid demonetization, surveilling accumulated wealth and effectively expropriating any significant amounts of cash held outside the now-nationalized banks.[7][8]

In 1989, the printing works underwent modernization, primarily in connection with the production of new banknotes.[4] In the same year, the 20 koruna banknote featuring John Amos Comenius was selected as Banknote of the Year.[4]

The first banknotes printed by Státní tiskárna cenin after the dissolution of Czechoslovakia were the 200, 1,000, and 5,000 koruna denominations. Banknotes of 50, 100, and 500 koruna were printed by De La Rue in London.[5]

Today, Státní tiskárna cenin continues to operate as a specialized company, with approximately 95% of its production dedicated to security printing for the Czech National Bank.[4]

In 2008, the redesigned 1,000 koruna banknote featuring new security elements was awarded second place in the Banknote of the Year competition by the International Association of Currency Affairs. First place was awarded to the Central Bank of Venezuela for its new banknote series.[9]

Controversies

In 2008, the Office for Personal Data Protection (Czech Republic) fined STC CZK 100,000 for violations of data protection law. The violation concerned a surveillance system that monitored employees within the building beyond working hours. STC management rejected the findings of the inspection.[10]

In November 2013, Minister of Finance Jan Fischer summoned long-serving CEO Richard Bulíček. He was suspected of a conflict of interest after accepting paintings worth tens of thousands of Czech koruna as Christmas gifts on two occasions. The gifts were given by entrepreneur Jan Janků of the paper manufacturer Neograph, who was charged with manipulating a public procurement contract for Prague Integrated Transport.[11] Fischer ordered Bulíček to return the gifts.[12]

After media revelations in 2014 that the printing works had distributed ten-gram gold bars as gifts to politicians, civil servants, and business figures, Bulíček was dismissed by then-Minister of Finance Andrej Babiš (ANO 2011). Following his dismissal, STC was temporarily led by deputy CEO Olga Dudková.[13]

The Ministry of Finance subsequently filed a criminal complaint, which police initially dismissed in September 2014. The ministry appealed successfully. Between 2009 and 2014, STC spent CZK 14 million on gold and silver gifts for influential individuals.[14]

New CEO Pavel Novák subsequently commissioned audits at STC and filed criminal complaints concerning disadvantageous contracts concluded by previous management, alleging misuse of exemptions from public procurement law.[15]

Management

Chief executive officers

  • Tomáš Hebelka (2016–present)
  • Pavel Novák (2014–2016)
  • Richard Bulíček (1991–2014)

Supervisory Board

As of October 2024:

  • Václav Pirkl (chair)
  • Soňa Snopková (Vice Chair)
  • Jakub Čermák
  • Věra Hnátová
  • Petr Fikar

References

  1. ^ "Annual Report for 2015" (PDF) (in Czech). Státní tiskárna cenin. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 November 2016. Retrieved 22 November 2016.
  2. ^ "Appointment of the Director General" (in Czech). Státní tiskárna cenin. Archived from the original on 23 November 2016. Retrieved 22 November 2016.
  3. ^ "Other security printed items", STC website
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "History of Státní tiskárna cenin" (in Czech). Státní tiskárna cenin. Archived from the original on 27 November 2016. Retrieved 27 November 2016.
  5. ^ a b Čuhaj, George S., ed. (2012). Standard Catalog of World Paper Money (14th ed.). Krause Publications. ISBN 978-1-4402-3090-5.
  6. ^ Švácha, Rostislav. Od moderny k funkcionalismu: proměny pražské architektury první poloviny dvacátého století. Prague: Victoria Publishing, 1995, p. 531. ISBN 80-85605-84-8
  7. ^ Louis A. Pérez Jr., Cuba: Between Reform and Revolution, 3rd ed., Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2006, pp. 274–276, ISBN 978-0-19-530362-5.
  8. ^ Albert Pick; Neil Shafer; Owen Linzmayer (eds.), Standard Catalog of World Paper Money, General Issues, 15th ed., Krause Publications, Iola, Wisconsin, 2009, pp. 301–304, ISBN 978-1-4402-3800-6.
  9. ^ "IACA Banknote of the Year Awards 2008 – Results". International Association of Currency Affairs. Retrieved 27 November 2016.
  10. ^ Krušina, Jiří (19 June 2008). "Státní tiskárna cenin porušovala zákon". Deník.cz (in Czech). Retrieved 17 October 2024.
  11. ^ Koděra, Petr (14 November 2013). "Fischer si pozval na kobereček šéfa státní tiskárny. Chce vysvětlit drahé vánoční dárky". Hospodářské noviny (in Czech). Retrieved 17 October 2024.
  12. ^ Koděra, Petr (14 November 2013). "Fischer nařídil šéfovi státní tiskárny, aby vrátil dary od Rittigova muže". Hospodářské noviny (in Czech). Retrieved 17 October 2024.
  13. ^ "Babiš odvolal kvůli dárkům ředitele Státní tiskárny cenin". Aktuálně.cz (in Czech). 18 March 2014. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
  14. ^ "'Zlatíčka' loni stála post šéfa tiskárny cenin. Policie dosud na nic nepřišla". iROZHLAS (in Czech). Czech Radio. 1 June 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
  15. ^ Vlková, Jitka (5 June 2015). "Státní tiskárna tiskla dárkové bankovky pro politiky, stály desítky tisíc". iDNES.cz. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
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