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This summary is provided by the STA:
Whistleblower claims Commodities Reserves Agency victim of political pressure, minister denies wrongdoing
LJUBLJANA - A whistleblower from the Commodities Reserves Agency came forward with accusations of political pressure in the purchasing of protective personal equipment, telling a TV Slovenija show on Thursday evening that certain providers had been favoured and the agency sidelined by task forces set up at the economy and defence ministries. Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek, who has been accused of intervening personally, acknowledged this, but said this was to expedite procedures rather than to favour specific suppliers. He described the story as an orchestrated "hunt on my head" and said he would not resign. Prime Minister janez Janša and Defence Minister MAtej Tonin said the government had ordered reports from all bodies involved in PPE procurement, which would be sent to parliament and investigative authorities.
LMŠ says no-confidence vote in entire govt is in the cards
LJUBLJANA - The head of the deputy group of the opposition Marjan Šarec List (LMŠ), Brane Golubović, said that after latest revelations regarding the purchase of protective and other medical equipment to tackle the Covid-19 epidemic, a vote of no-confidence in the entire government was in the cards. Since Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek and Defence Minister Matej Tonin did not offer their resignation and PM Janez Janša did not propose their dismissal, it is possible that a vote of no-confidence in the entire government will be held, Golubović said a day after LMŠ head Marjan Šarec announced a motion to oust Počivalšek.
Pahor says no constitutional right should be suspended during crisis
LJUBLJANA - Even during the coronavirus epidemic no constitutional right is or must be denied to citizens, President Borut Pahor said as he commented on the announcement of a vote of no-confidence in Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek over his role in the purchases of protective personal equipment. Speaking for national radio on Thursday, Pahor said decisions in this respect must be proportionate so as not to hinder decision-makers in their efforts to tackle the crisis. All departures must be noticed and sanctioned but in a way that does not affect this focus on helping people, Pahor said. "People are smart and they will be able to assess who has proved in this period that they had made the right decisions and put the interests of the community interests first."
Gradual opening of borders for tourists might start in May
LJUBLJANA - Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek expects that the restrictions affecting tourism, chiefly closed borders, could gradually be relaxed in May. The government is thus working on "a corona standard" to provide for the safety of tourists and tourism workers. He said the government was trying to define protocols for individual sectors of tourism in collaboration with businesses and the National Institute of Public Health. "We'll set a corona standard so that both guests and staff feel safe," he said. With over 70% of tourists coming to Slovenia from abroad, the focus is on convincing them that tourist services are provided in a safe manner.
SID Bank posted EUR 32 million net profit for 2019
LJUBLJANA - SID Bank, the state-run export and development bank, more than doubled net profit in 2019 to EUR 32 million. "SID Bank performed well and, taking into account certain one-off events, recorded a historically record year in terms of profit," the management stated in the annual report. The bank said its "strong capital position and robustness further strengthened" as its capital increased by 9.9% to EUR 464 million, while its capital adequacy stood at 34%. The surge in profit by EUR 17.7 million was the result of the sale of a subsidiary and the repayment of a portion of non-performing claims.
Pahor and Steinmeier call for EU-wide solidarity
LJUBLJANA - Slovenian President Borut Pahor and his German counterpart Frank-Walter Steinmeier noted the importance of solidarity and cooperation between EU countries during the coronavirus pandemic as they talked on the telephone, calling for faster and more efficient action on the part of EU institutions. According to Pahor's office, the two presidents spoke mostly about the situation and relationships within the EU. They noted the risk of countries shutting in on themselves in the current situation and of losing faith in the European project. They also exchanged information on the current developments in the coronavirus epidemic in their countries, finding that the situation allowed a gradual and cautious return to a normal life.
Tourism, retail severely affected by coronavirus
LJUBLJANA - The Covid-19 crisis severely affected March figures for tourism and retail business. Accommodation facilities recorded a 75% drop in arrivals and 67% fewer night stays over March 2019, while retail revenue fell by 15.1% year on year, the latest Statistics Office figures show. Although the lockdown in March was in place only slightly more than the last two weeks, it affected tourism figures for the entire first quarter. The January-to-March period recorded a 28% drop in tourist arrivals over the same period in 2019 and a 23% decrease in nights. Business sentiment meanwhile fell by an unprecedented 35.8 percentage points in April compared to March to a record low of -39.5 percentage points.
Minister hopes for solution to Gorenje layoffs
LJUBLJANA - Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek said he would meet the management of home appliances maker Gorenje to try and find a solution after the company announced it would cut 1,000 jobs in Slovenia. He said Gorenje was seen as a good example of well organised production that was planned to be upgraded or restructured with a new television factory to avoid major layoffs. "We'll do everything for the new TV set factory to be built in the town of Velenje and for the planned redundancies to be resolved to the benefit of workers and consequently the state."
More than 32,000 self-employed get monthly allowance
LJUBLJANA - Just over 32,000 self-employed, farmers and religious workers who lost their income as a result of the coronavirus pandemic got their monthly basic income on Friday, a total of EUR 11.2 million for March. The EUR 350 allowance was transferred to claimants who submitted a statement via the Financial Administration's e-tax system by 18 April that the epidemic prevented them from doing business or severely affected its scope. The self-employed, farmers and religious workers are also temporarily exempted from social contribution payments.
MPs call for withdrawal of govt letter to CoE
LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary foreign policy and culture committees called on the Foreign Ministry to withdraw the government's controversial letter to the Council of Europe (CoE) about the state of the media in Slovenia, which says that the majority of the media in Slovenia stem from the Communist regime. The committees proposed to the ministry to withdraw the letter and call on all public office holders to refrain from restricting journalist work and editors' independence, and the public's right to being informed, in any way. The letter, sent to the CoE at the beginning of April, was a response to an alert issued by the CoE after PM Janez Janša tweeted in late March that the public broadcaster RTV Slovenija was misleading the public.
Commissioner Jourova contacts Slovenian authorities over media freedom situation
BRUSSELS, Belgium - European Commission vice-president and Commissioner for Values and Transparency Vera Jourova announced she had contacted Slovenian authorities over the media freedom situation in the country. "No hate, no threats, no personal attacks," reads part of Jourova's message to the government. Jourova's reaction comes in response to an appeal by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and six other press freedom organisations for the Commission to put pressure on the Slovenian government and remind it of its responsibility to "protect the press, to ensure journalists are able to report independently."
Getting married made possible again from Tuesday
LJUBLJANA - Couples in Slovenia will be able to get married again from Tuesday under special terms after civil ceremonies were suspended in mid-March due to the coronavirus epidemic. Marriage ceremonies will be possible "in a somewhat scaled-down setup, with due consideration of the circumstances", Public Administration Minister Boštjan Koritnik announced. If the newly wed couple and the honour attendants need to cross municipal borders, they will be issued a special license by the administrative unit.
SSH finishes 2019 with loss, posts 6.8% return on equity
LJUBLJANA - Slovenian Sovereign Holding (SSH) posted a pre-tax profit of EUR 2.2 million and EUR 16.6 million in net loss last year, but estimates to have recorded a 6.8% return on equity. This is 0.6 percentage points above the 2019 target and just as much above the return on equity from 2018. The management largely attributed the loss to EUR 37 million in provisions for denationalisation and to deferred taxes. It said that the 6.2% target return on equity will be exceeded despite major changes in its portfolio, notably the sale of banks.
Football Association honoured with Golden Order of Merit
LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor honoured the Slovenian Football Association with the Golden Order of Merit for helping establish football as a mass sport in the country and as a sport that is played at the highest level. Conferring the decoration on the centenary of organised football in Slovenia, Pahor said the association had helped produce a number of top players and coaches who are also excelling internationally, adding the association organises numerous events at national and regional level, as well as social responsibility projects that inspire the young.
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