The Prime Minister Janez Janša and the ministers of defence and transport today visited other areas in Gorenjska and Savinjska that were struck by the Tuesday storms. At a press conference in Letuš, the PM stressed that at today's regular session the cabinet had again discussed the aftermath of the storm, and looked into the first unofficial damage assessment. The costs are expected to exceed 200 million euros, and the Government has therefore approved a number of additional measures.
(Photo: Bobo)
According to PM Janez Janša, most damage was caused to the infrastructure, waterways, housing and public buildings. As yet there are no estimates about the damage caused to the power supply and telecommunications networks, nor of the income loss of companies affected by the severe weather. The Government has called on municipal authorities and the national commission to assess the damage as soon as possible. The Ministry of the Environment and Spatial Planning will have drawn up a provisional damage repair plan in the shortest time possible, which will be regularly updated until a final damage assessment is made.
The Government has instructed all the ministries to help to all affected parties as far as their competences allow them, by reallocating funds from different budget items and making damage repair as their absolute priority.
The Government has also decided to apply for aid for undertakings from the European Commission to assist companies affected by the storm. This will be the first time Slovenia has made use of such a measure, and the PM says that all conditions for this have been fulfilled. The Ministry of the Economy will also draw up a decree for de minimis aid, which stipulates that when some companies are affected by force majeure, the state may provide financial assistance without approval from the EC. At present, Slovenia is also entitled to apply for aid from the European Union Solidarity Fund.
"The Government has discussed how to most efficiently help individuals, families and farmers who were struck by the storm, and there are thousands of such cases. Some of the help could be provided by exempting the individuals and businesses from paying taxes and contributions, or postponing payment, which is in line with tax legislation. The Ministry of Finance and the Tax Administration of the Republic of Slovenia are responsible for drawing up the necessary executive bylaws," said the PM. Following a proposal by the Ministry of the Interior, the Government has decided, in accordance with the Administrative Fees Act, to exempt from fees anyone who has lost their personal or other documents due to the severe weather and wishes to apply for new ones.
"The Government has declared Friday a national day of mourning. The Government would also like to stress that this is not only a day of mourning and compassion for those who have lost their loved ones in the storm, but also a day of solidarity. We welcome the many positive response by the organisers of various events who have either cancelled them – and donated the funds to charity organisations helping the victims of the storm – or changed the nature of the event and decided to donate a portion of the funds raised to repairing the damage and helping the victims."
The PM stressed that it would take quite some time for some roads to be reopened, and that temporary solutions must therefore be found and potential new routes for some of them be considered. In his opinion, even in the areas that were the most severely affected by the weather, conditions for normal life are gradually being established. By the end of the day, there will not be a single village without power and telecommunications, apart from a few houses, and the village of Davča is no longer cut off from the rest of the world.
"Many rescuers, along with army and police personnel have come to help. People are also showing their solidarity and helping each other, Slovenia has proved to the victims of the storm that they are not alone. In Železniki and its surroundings, the situation is particularly difficult, as the storm raged there the most fiercely, and it will take quite some time for the situation to improve. However, in the light of previous experience, the most important thing right now is that the measures we approve are effective in real time, that the aid comes in time," said the PM. He also appealed to everyone willing to assist financially to do so, as many families have lost everything and without the basic means, they cannot go to work or school. This is why, from the psychological point of view, this initial aid is vital.
