The Prime Minister of the Republic of Slovenia, Mr Janez Janša, together with a Government team, today paid a working visit to the Notranjsko-kraška statistical region. At the beginning of the meeting, the Premier and the representatives of the Government held a working consultation at Snežnik Castle, in which the Government analysed the situation and the development potential of the region, verifying which of the matters agreed on during its first visit in May 2006 had been implemented.
(Photo: Bor Slana/Bobo)
As part of today’s visit, Prime Minister Janez Janša took part in the formal signing of the Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Slovenia and the European Space Agency (ESA) on cooperation in outer space for peaceful purposes. This agreement will enhance cooperation and development in science, industry and culture. In the research sphere and industry, there has been no appropriate framework to date for systematic cooperation with the ESA in the field of space exploration for peaceful purposes. The Republic of Slovenia has thus gradually been joining the European countries already associated in the ESA that will be capable of addressing the challenges of the twenty-first century when space will have an even greater impact on everyday life. The ESA’s role is also important in endeavours to improve possibilities for detecting pollution and monitoring environmental and climate change, thus representing a significant contribution to conservation of the environment.
(Photo: Bor Slana/Bobo)
The Prime Minister also visited Novolit, based at Nova vas na Blokah, a company manufacturing heat insulation products used in the building industry as well as polystyrene, packaging, and cold store equipment. The Premier, together with the Minister for Economy, Andrej Vizjak, was given a tour of the production premises and later had a meeting with the firm’s management, at which he was informed of the company’s operations and future goals. They also discussed road links in the area, which are currently a bottleneck for freight transport. The Prime Minister informed the management of the planned modernisation of roads along two routes: between Nova vas and Velike Lašče and the route Unec-Cerknica-Bloke-Kočevje-Novo mesto. Specific steps forward have already been taken for both routes, and measures adopted to improve their condition and level of safety. Mention was also made of tax relief on investments in research and development, and of various investment projects.
(Photo: Bor Slana/Bobo)
At a press conference held later in Postojna, PM Janez Janša emphasised that more than 50 meetings in various formats – between Government representatives and mayors, managers, heads of various institutions, deputies, and councillors – had been organised during the Government’s visit to the region. He underlined that, in recent years, the Notranjsko-kraška region has reduced its development gap with respect to the rest of Slovenia, and, in some areas, has been developing even faster than the Slovenian average. “In terms of economic power and net pay per employee in the economic sector, the region achieves just over 90% of the Slovenian average. It is encouraging to see that the volume of service activities and the number of business entities has increased by almost 8% in the past two years,” commented the Prime Minister.
Moreover, the Notranjsko-kraška statistical region has the highest employment rate nationally, at almost 65%. The Premier took the opportunity to say that he was pleased to see that among the unemployed there were fewer women, unqualified workers and long-term unemployed.
(Photo: Bor Slana/Bobo)
In the period 2004-2006, the region received €3.4 million in funding from European funds. The region has a considerably higher interest in the current financial perspective 2007-2012, amounting to as much as €23 million. The funds granted to the region under regional incentives are thus a third more than the average level of such funding in Slovenia. The Slovenian Prime Minister also noted that the amended Financing of the Municipalities Act had improved the position of all the municipalities in the Notranjsko-kraška statistical region since, in financial terms, in 2007, the municipalities had received €29.9 million in funding, 18% more than they would have received under the former legislation. This year, indeed, such funding will increase by a further 4%, making a total amount of €31 million.
(Photo: Bor Slana/Bobo)
The Slovenian Prime Minister said that the first government visit in May 2006 had revealed some of the specific problems the region faced in connection with the development of tourism, education and social protection. He took the view that these problems have been resolved to a great extent, since a more liberal visa regime for certain foreign tourists has been adopted, the extension to the retirement home in Postojna has been built and the construction of police station facilities in Ilirska Bistrica in Cerknica has been completed. In addition, the Pivka Park of Military History project is up and running and the agreement on the establishment of a Centre for renewable energy sources in Pivka has been signed.
(Photo: Bor Slana/Bobo)
At the press conference, the Prime Minister also referred to the upcoming consultative referendum on Slovenian regions. He pointed out that, once the population of Slovenia had made its decision on the regions, the Government would have enough time to complete the decision-making processes relating to the regional laws that are in the final stage of adoption. The Government will also be able to resubmit for decision the law on the establishment of regions, which requires a two-thirds majority of all members of the National Assembly to be adopted. “At the Government’s working meeting, today, we agreed that the Government will not take part in the referendum campaign directly but will, however, continue to present the arguments that led the Government as well as the legislator, when amending the Constitution, to prepare all the necessary documents with a view to decentralising Slovenia and dividing it into regions,” explained the Prime Minister. He said that the purpose of such presentations was to shift the focus of debate back towards development issues rather than to discuss the political benefits to individual political parties or political environments. “We believe that this is the only productive way to discuss the matter and the only way that generates a reasoned basis on which relevant decisions can be taken,” said the Prime Minister.
(Photo: Bor Slana/Bobo)
In the afternoon, the Prime Minister, together with the Ministers and State Secretaries, held a working consultation with mayors, businessmen, deputies and national councillors from the Notranjsko-kraška region, which (also) focused on development opportunities as well as on specific problems encountered by this region.
(Photo: Bor Slana/Bobo)
By way of concluding the visit to the region, politicians and the region’s businessmen took part in the traditional charity football match.
