NEWS

Press conference following the Government’s 39th session

Speaking at a press conference following the 39th session of the Government of the Republic of Slovenia, Prime Minister Borut Pahor said that, after several hours of successful work, the Government had adopted a draft budget memorandum for 2010 and 2011. "We will strive to stabilise public finance and ensure social sustainability," he stressed, adding that the Government adopted more than 60 other measures to alleviate the social and economic crisis. "Our objective is to stabilise the economic situation over the course of the next year. Within the limits of our possibilities, we will do our utmost to ensure that the Government will successfully and efficiently tackle the crisis, to which it has devoted the most attention." Prime Minister Pahor also announced that further meetings will be held after the session regarding preparations for tomorrow’s meeting with the Croatian Prime Minister, Jadranka Kosor. "I hope that the meeting will be successful to the extent that it will enable both of us to view the possibilities of arriving at solutions that are acceptable to both sides in a relatively short time, which would enable the  process of the EU’s enlargement to the Western Balkans to continue," he added.
 
At today’s session, the Government endorsed the proposal by Prime Minister Pahor to re-appoint the present Science and Research Commissioner, Janez Potočnik, as a member of the European Commission; the Government also agreed on expenditure breakdowns for the preparation of proposals for Slovenia’s national budgets for 2010 and 2011 and took note of the proposed plan of the potential investor to reorganise the Mura Group. At today’s session, the Government adopted amendments to the Decree on the use of official mobile phones and services of mobile operators in public state authorities and the Energy Balance of the Republic of Slovenia for 2009. The Government also took note of the assessment of damage caused by the storm, gale-force wind and heavy showers of rain and hail on 16 June 2009 in Slovenia.

The Government granted state aid for the preparation of a restructuring programme to certain companies, including Steklarna Luminos d.o.o., in the amount of EUR 500,000. It also approved the Operational Programme for Limiting Greenhouse Gas Emissions by 2012 and promised the necessary funds for implementation of the Programme’s measures. Members of the Government also discussed an interim summary report on compulsory supervisory checks in the transition to the new salary system in the public sector, carried out at budget users at individual ministries, and took note of a report on drawing on cohesion funds faster, which reflects the situation in the area of drawing on cohesion policy funds and will serve as the basis for unveiling a comprehensive package of measures aimed at simplifying the procedures for acquiring funds and providing for more efficient and targeted spending.