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This summary is provided by the STA:
Speakers from W Balkans meeting in Slovenia
LJUBLJANA/BRDO PRI KRANJU - National Assembly Speaker Igor Zorčič is hosting a two-day meeting with his counterparts from the Western Balkans. After a dinner in Ljubljana today, the meeting at Brdo on Monday will be addressed by Zorčič, President Borut Pahor, Foreign Minister Anže Logar and Monika Gregorčič, chair of the Foreign Policy Committee. The speakers will then discuss the role of parliaments in rebuilding trust in EU enlargement process, and have a discussion on the future of Europe with youth.
Andrej Saje ordained as new bishop of Novo Mesto
MIRNA PEČ - The new bishop of Novo Mesto, Andrej Saje was ordained at a ceremony at the parish church of Mirna Peč before he formally takes over from Andrej Glavan on Tuesday. After the consecration ceremony, performed by Glavan, assisted by Apostolic Nuncio to Slovenia Jean-Marie Speich and Jože Marketz, the bishop of the Gurk-Klagenfurt diocese in Austria, Saje addressed the congregation with an appal for fruitful cooperation and dialogue with everyone to create a society of peace and justice.
Minister Jaklitsch visits Wisconsin and Illinois
MILWAUKEE/LEMONT, US - Minister for Slovenians Abroad Helena Jaklitsch is wrapping up her multi-day tour of the Slovenian communities in the United States by meeting Americans of Slovenian descent in Illinois, after she visited on Friday the federal state of Wisconsin, a home to around 6,500 people of Slovenian descent. During her stop in Milwaukee the minister visited the Golda Meir Library at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, which keeps a Slovenian music collection, and visited Triglav Park.
Podgoršek discusses biodiversity in Budapest
BUDAPEST, Hungary - Agriculture Minister Jože Podgoršek discussed the need to preserve and increase biodiversity as a task of present and future generations as he addressed an international hunting and nature fair in Budapest on Saturday. With his Hungarian counterpart Istvan Nagy he addressed Slovenian Day at the fair today. He also held several bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the event, including with Nagy and his Croatian counterpart Marija Vučkovič.
Coronavirus case count down for sixth day w/w
LJUBLJANA - Slovenia logged 444 new coronavirus cases on Saturday, the sixth consecutive day of week-on-week decline in new cases. Another five Covid-19 patients died. Figures released by the government show 407 Covid-19 patients were treated at hospitals in the morning, including 106 in intensive care. Both figures are up from yesterday, by 25 and two, respectively.
Fiscal revenue down by 2.3% in 2020
LJUBLJANA - After six consecutive years of growth, the total amount of taxes and social contributions collected by the state declined by 2.3% last year to to EUR 17.7 billion. Tax receipts declined by 7.2% to EUR 9.7 billion, while revenue from social contributions rose by 4.4% to EUR 8.1 billion, a report by the Statistics Office shows. Including social contributions, tax revenue accounted for 20.6% of GDP last year, the lowest share yet. The highest was in 2005 at 24%.
Local government debt keeps increasing
LJUBLJANA - The total debt of Slovenia's 212 municipalities and their utilities increased by a further EUR 47.5 million last year to EUR 971.2 million, or 2.1% of GDP. Average total debt per capita thus increased to EUR 473 in 2020 from EUR 449 in 2019, a report compiled by the Finance Ministry shows. The Finance Ministry believes the figures are not cause for concern as the loans are leveraged to contribute to economic growth and jobs.
Two-thirds of Slovenian households loan-free in 2020
LJUBLJANA - Just over a third of Slovenian households (36%) had at least one loan or instalment purchase to repay last year, excluding mortgage on their home, over half of them or their car, a report by the Statistics Office shows. About half reported currently making as much to make ends meet without having to borrow or making any savings. Of the 83% of people who said they had any savings, 56% reckoned they could keep up the same standard of living using only savings for a maximum of two months.
