NEWS
Prime Minister of the Republic of Slovenia, Ms Alenka Bratušek, at press conference after 20th session of the Government of the Republic of Slovenia: "Bad recruitments did not begin with this Government, but I do wish that they ended with this Government"
According to Prime Minister, Ms Alenka Bratušek, last months have shown first signs of recovery of Slovenian economy. The building sector has recorded a bit over ten per cent of growth, there was a slight decline in the number of the unemployed, and the export is stable. "Despite these positive aspects I am aware that a lot of hard work remains to be done this autumn, and that we are not yet close to the moment when we can say that the trouble is over," stressed the Prime Minister. In the Prime Minister's opinion, the most important projects for the autumn are the rehabilitation of the banking system, without which the economy boost is impossible, and the preparation of public finance consolidation measures. The new package of public finance consolidation measures will be presented by the Government by 25 September. As the Prime Minister is aware that these measures are not popular, she does not expect a full support but nevertheless wishes that the majority agree that these measures will lead Slovenia forward.
As regards the bank rehabilitation, the Prime Minister said that we have to wait for the stress test results before commencing the transfer of bad debts to the bad bank, which was initially planned for last June. These are the instructions of Brussels which we must respect. The Prime Minister stressed that, regardless of the EU guidelines, everything we do is done for ourselves and not for the EU, as financial markets must be persuaded that Slovenia follows the right course. "It is only the continuation of the planned public finance consolidation that will convince investors that Slovenia has taken the right path," explained the Prime Minister. The measures forecast by the Prime Minister included the drafting of the Systemic Deleveraging Act, which will enable and facilitate corporate repayments as the greatest problem of Slovenian economy, and strict steps to combat grey economy.
At today's session, the Government dismissed Gašpar Gašpar Mišič from the position of State Secretary at the Office of the Prime Minister; the Prime Minister said that it was "inappropriate for any official to stand for a position in a company. If he wants to, he will have to resign first". The Prime Minister went on to underline that bad recruitments did not begin with her Government, but that she wishes that they ended with this Government. "I will do my best to make it true," she emphasised and added that the Slovenian Compensation Company, which bears the key responsibility for recruiting, must conduct these procedures in an independent and professionally competent way. Prime Minister Alenka Bratušek concluded by saying that the coalition would soon hold a discussion about possible solutions concerning the phenomenon of politically-based recruitments.