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This summary is provided by the STA:
Coalition and opposition bring rival bids for inquiry into medical supplies
LJUBLJANA - The four coalition parties filed for a parliamentary inquiry to look into the situation, handling, stock, orders and purchases of protective and critical medical equipment needed to battle Covid-19 between 1 February and 20 April. The opposition had been announcing it would seek such an inquiry for a while, but the coalition said that whilst they were willing to support the opposition in the move it simply took too long, while the matter should be looked into as soon as possible. The four centre-left opposition parties thus submitted a rival motion for an inquiry. In the meantime, the parliamentary Public Finance Oversight Commission spent six hours discussing the procurement before breaking off without taking any decisions.
Top expert says no rift in ventilator opinions
LJUBLJANA - Marko Noč, the head of the medical commission that evaluated offers for ventilators, came out in defence of a fellow commission member who came under fire after questioning the choice of a contentious ventilator type. However, Noč also argued there was no rift among experts on the issue. Noč said there were presently 430 appropriate ventilators in Slovenia and that 140 more were expected in the coming weeks after orders placed by hospitals and the state, which meant far more than the number of intensive care beds available in the country.
New coronavirus cases reported
LJUBLJANA - The number of confirmed coronavirus cases rose by six to 1,445 on Monday after no new cases were recorded at the weekend. Of the 56 patients treated in hospitals yesterday, 17 were in intensive care and one person died of Covid-19, bringing the total of deaths to 98. The director of the National Institute of Public Health, Milan Krek, said the newly infected came from hotspots and not from general population, which he said was encouraging.
Slovenia not to compromise right to privacy for Covid-19 app
LJUBLJANA - After a video conference with his counterparts from the EU, Public Administration Minister Boštjan Koritnik said Slovenia would not compromise the right to privacy for a mobile contact tracing app. Slovenia is among the countries in which the right to privacy is very restrictively defined, the only two countries more restrictive in this respect are Germany and Austria, Koritnik said, adding that Slovenia would not give up this standard for a contact tracing app. He backed a joint EU app.
Labour minister looks for silver linings amid Covid-19 crisis
BRUSSELS, Belgium - EU ministers in charge of social affairs discussed via videoconference national measures to tackle the coronavirus fallout. Labour Minister Janez Cigler Kralj agreed that the efforts should be boosted, adding that the crisis could be a stepping stone to a healthier balance between personal and professional lives. Cigler Kralj also called on the EU to include employment and social targets in its strategies, including those reviving the economy.
Retailers worried about dwindling sales
LJUBLJANA - The Covid-19 lockdown has resulted in the retail sector posting very worrying results, Chamber of Commerce (TZS) head Mariča Lah said. The sector as a whole could see a EUR 6-7 billion drop in sales this year, which represents over 20% of annual revenue. After an initial spike in sales in the early stages of the crisis, even groceries have posted a drop in overall sales during the lockdown, said Lah, estimating the decrease could exceed 15%.
Almost EUR 88m in claims admitted in Adria Airways bankruptcy
LJUBLJANA - The official receiver of Adria Airways admitted EUR 87.7 million in claims from creditors out of a total of EUR 151 million reported since the air carrier entered into receivership last October. The receiver, Janez Pustatičnik accepted secured and unsecured claims by legal entities and individuals to the tune of EUR 72.6 million, including EUR 15.1 million claimed by employees for unpaid wages. Few claims will be repaid, given that the bankruptcy estate is valued only at EUR 6 million.
Fraport seeks govt aid to complete passenger terminal in time
BRNIK - Airport operator Fraport Slovenija called on the government to help with keeping the company afloat and completing a new passenger terminal in time. The operator's revenue plummeted by as much as 85% year-on-year since the start of the coronavirus epidemic in mid-March. Air traffic has been severely restricted with only cargo or mail transport allowed, along with some special flights. The new terminal, valued at EUR 21 million, was to open before Slovenia takes the presidency of the Council of the EU in July 2021.
Event organisers urge aid and time frame for gathering ban
LJUBLJANA - With no events taking place since 7 March and none envisaged for an indefinite period, event organisers urged authorities to adopt aid measures and provide a basic time frame for the ban on public gatherings so that planning can start for 2021. The Association of Concert Organisers said the entire sector was in jeopardy because of the indefinite duration of the measures, which made it impossible to reschedule concerts. They also want financial assistance for staff.
DARS reports lower vignette sales, lorry tolling revenue
LJUBLJANA - As traffic on Slovenian motorways has only recently started to gradually go back to normal, the national motorway company DARS reported a drop in sales of toll stickers and revenue from cargo traffic as a result of the lockdown measures. DARS sold 1.86 million toll stickers between December and March, which is 6% less than in the same period a year earlier. The value of the toll stickers sold was down by EUR 1.83 million to EUR 96.95 million.
Kolektor CGP to build Croatia's most expensive road
RIJEKA, Croatia - A consortium comprising Slovenia's Kolektor CPG, Croatia's GP Krk and Bosnia's Euroasfalt won a tender to build a state road in the Croatian port city of Rijeka. The three-kilometre road running on a very complex terrain will be built for EUR 61 million. The consortium was the best bidder in the public tender published by Hrvatske Ceste, Croatia's company managing state roads. The D 403 will link the container terminal at the Rijeka port and west Rijeka with the city's ring road.
Courts start processing non-urgent cases
LJUBLJANA - Slovenian courts were allowed to start holding hearings, deliver rulings and serve writes in non-urgent cases, after most activities were suspended on 16 March. Deadlines will still not apply in non-urgent cases in which writs would be served. "For clients this means that they will be acquainted with the case but not obligated to take any steps unless they want to," the Supreme Court said.
Record numbers using e-book library amid lockdown
LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian online library Biblos has seen record numbers of users during the coronavirus lockdown. Almost 100,000 e-books have been borrowed since the start of the epidemic, almost as much as the total amount of e-books accessed during the entire 2019. Following the declaration of the epidemic, up to 10,000 readers accessed the platform per day, with the average daily amount of e-books borrowed standing at 1,740.
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