NEWS

Prime Minister Pahor presents candidate for minister of local self-government and regional policy

At a press conference today, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Slovenia, Borut Pahor presented the candidate for the new minister without portfolio responsible for local self-government and regional policy, Henrik Gjerkeš.

 

(Foto: Daniel Novakovič/STA)

 

"I have taken my decision on his appointment quickly but advisedly. Dr Gjerkeš has educational and managerial references, and is acquainted with the field," said the Prime Minister. He pointed to his expectations that the new minister would cooperate well with State Secretaries Rado Genorio and Andrej Horvat in the Office of the Prime Minister, and that together they would make a successful team engaged in one of the most sensitive tasks in the current term of office, namely to accelerate regional development and efficiently draw European funds.

 

Prime Minister Pahor also said that he expects his minister of local self-government and regional policy to focus primarily on three tasks: "to allocate EUR 4 billion of EU budget funds by the end of the 2015 financial perspective, to finish the work started by former minister Ploštajner so that we can submit a draft Regional Act to the National Assembly, and to establish excellent contacts with mayors so that they will jointly contribute to resolving local self-government issues."