The Prime Minister of the Republic of Slovenia, Janez Janša, began the government's tour of the Savinjska-šaleška region with an afternoon visit to Velenje. The government are revisiting the region to monitor progress on agreements made in 2005.

 

(Photo: Primož Lavre/Salomon 2000)

 

First, the Prime Minister attended the opening of the Inter-Company Training Centre (MIC), part of the School Centre Velenje, a public education institution of almost 50 years standing which consists of five secondary schools and a higher professional school. The idea for the MIC was the result of a Phare project. The founders are the Ministry of Education and Sport, and the Velenje Coal Mines, while more than 50 companies signed the initiative to establish it. The complex of three buildings has an area of some 6,531 square metres, and the investment is worth 7.5 million euros, with the Ministry contributing 24 per cent. The MIC is a good example of cooperation between the government, the local community and the business sector, and of simultaneous divestment and investment, as government assets were sold. Less than a year passed between the idea and the implementation. The MIC is also the first institution in Slovenia which was established to strengthen cooperation between the business sector and the educational system, although it existed through the School Centre Velenje earlier.

 

(Photo: Primož Lavre/Salomon 2000)

 

The PM and some members of the cabinet then visited Gorenje, a company with fifty-seven years of tradition. The management outlined their ambitious long-term growth plan and expressed the hope that Gorenje would become a truly multinational corporation based in Slovenia. They also discussed current issues: a 15 per cent capital increase which, according to the management, is one of the steps facilitating the realisation of their long-term strategy.

 

The capital increase at Gorenje is a current project approved at the company's AGM. "Slovenia's long-term interest is that Gorenje continues to develop successfully and to consolidate its ownership structure. In the long-term, the government will retain a certain percentage of shares through Kapitalska družba, which currently owns 26.1 per cent; however, it will not have a controlling interest," said the PM after the meeting, adding that the company should be developed in accordance with a strategy which envisages an independent company which will not be an easy target for takeovers. According to the PM, this is completely understandable, given the significance of the company for the region, Slovenia and this part of Europe.

 

Tomorrow morning the PM and the cabinet will convene at a working meeting in Luče, where they will analyse new development opportunities, which have arisen in individual regions.