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This summary is provided by the STA:
PM Šarec to pay official visit to Serbia
LJUBLJANA - Prime Minister Marjan Šarec will pay his first official visit to Serbia on 27 August for talks with his counterpart Ana Brnabić, President Aleksandar Vučić and Speaker Maja Gojković. President Borut Pahor was the last senior Slovenian official to pay an official visit to Serbia, accompanied by a sizeable business delegation in January. Slovenia and Serbia have well developed and largely problem-free relations. Since 2013, the two governments have also met for several joint sessions.
Commissioner candidate Lenarčič meets von der Leyen
BRUSSELS, Belgium - Janez Lenarčič, the candidate for the Slovenian member of the European Commission, held informal introductory talks with the newly elected Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, in Brussels today. The pair talked about the challenges that await the new Commission and about the importance of respect for the EU's fundamental values, Slovenia's permanent representation in Brussels said in a press release.
Govt extends auxiliary police deployment
LJUBLJANA - The government decided to extend the deployment of auxiliary police to help the regular force cope with a spike in illegal migration on the Schengen border with Croatia and with other duties. In line with today's decision, auxiliary police will be deployed until the end of the year to help patrol the border and stand in for absent regular police officers. Under the valid legislation, auxiliary police may be called in for up to 30 days in a calendar year.
Mired in controversy, rail tender annulled
LJUBLJANA - The company managing construction of the new Divača-Koper rail track annulled a public tender for the first of several bridges on the new track after weeks of public controversy that renewed concern about the mega project going off the rails financially. "It has turned out that the cheapest bidder was not the best," 2TDK boss Dušan Zorko told the press after the company determined the selected bidder had apparently forged its prior experience in building such infrastructure. The tender to build a 170-metre bridge over Glinščica Valley will now be repeated as soon as possible.
Lekarna Ljubljana target of ransomware attack
LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's largest pharmacy chain, Lekarna Ljubljana, was the target of a ransomware attack on Monday, which temporarily incapacitated its information system and forced the chain to close for business on Tuesday. The pharmacies reopened today but they have so far been able to issue prescription drugs based on paper prescriptions only. The system is expected to be up and running normally again later today. No further details about the attack have been available, but the national e-Health system has apparently not been affected.
SPIRIT get full fledged director
LJUBLJANA - The government appointed Ajda Cuderman as the director of the SPIRIT investment promotion agency. Cuderman, who has been served as acting director since February, will start her five-year term on 16 August, the government said. Before taking over at SPIRIT, Cuderman had worked at energy company Petrol and sales consulting group Mercuri International.
NGOs funding at nearly EUR 1bn last year
LJUBLJANA - More than 27,000 Slovenian NGOs saw a combined revenue of EUR 918 million last year, up by EUR 44.55 million from 2017, shows a report released by the national NGO umbrella network CNVOS. As many as 17% of NGOs reported no income last year, and another 35% got less than EUR 5,000, with the average per an NGO standing at EUR 34,400. Most of the funds from donations, membership fees and revenue from products and services. Just over a third, some EUR 333 million, was provided by the state.
Spatial plan procedures delay BSW sawmill investment
BRASLOVČE - Scottish sawmiller BSW Timber still has not been able to start with the construction of what will be the biggest sawmill in Slovenia. The main reason has been delays in the adoption of the needed spatial plans, which Braslovče Mayor Tomaž Žohar expects will be ready by the end of the year. Providing an update on the EUR 40 million investment in Gomilsko near Celje, Žohar said the Institute for the Protection of Natural Heritage was conducting studies in the area slated for the sawmill.
Unicredit Slovenia posts slightly higher H1 profit
LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian subsidiary of the Italian banking group Unicredit posted EUR 16 million in consolidated profit in the first half of the year, a marginal increase of 0.3% on the same period a year ago, shows the annual report released by the parent bank. Unicredit Banka Slovenija and Unicredit Leasing saw their operating profit increase by almost 6% to EUR 19 million in the same period. Operating revenue rose by 7.2% to EUR 42 million and net interest revenue was up 1.3% to EUR 23 million.
Kemis's new facilities declared illegal construction
LJUBLJANA/VRHNIKA - The facilities that chemical waste processing company Kemis has extensively renovated after a major fire hit the plant in 2017 have been found to be illegal construction. Building inspectors ordered Kemis to stop using the facilities immediately and remove them by 30 June 2020. While no building permit is required for renovation work, Kemis should have obtained it for a newly-built underground water reservoir, which is part of an upgraded anti-fire system.
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