Andrej

Rebel MPs opt out of SMC meeting

Ljubljana – Speaker Igor Zorčič and the head of the Modern Centre Party (SMC) deputy group Janja Sluga said they would not take part in yesterday’s session of the SMC council, pointing to alliances party leader Zdravko Počivalšek was forging behind the scenes. The council’s meeting meanwhile ended with the party closing ranks around Počivalšek.

Contentious provision removed from water bill

Ljubljana – The environment and economy ministries have withdrawn a planned provision allowing construction of manufacturing facilities which use hazardous materials in water protected areas. The decision was welcomed by the Greens Slovenia party, and by environmentalists, who however also want the other contentious provision removed.

Days of Jožef Stefan kick off online

Ljubljana – Days of Jožef Stefan will kicked off online yesterday with Jožef Stefan Institute (IJS) head Boštjan Zalar addressing the opening ceremony. Until Saturday several lectures and other events will be held to popularise science and honour the memory of the famous physicist that gave the name to Slovenia’s top research institute.

Companies in better shape than expected, some soft spots

Ljubljana – Slovenia has spent billions to help companies weather the coronavirus crisis and keep unemployment low. Business associations say companies are currently in good shape overall, but they highlight pockets of problems, especially among SMEs and in industries that were shut down for a long time.

IMF downgrades forecast for Slovenia’s economy in 2021

Ljubljana – The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has downgraded its forecast for Slovenia’s growth in 2021 from 5.2% to 3.7%. For 2022, it forecasts 4.5% growth, Bernardin Akitoby, chief of the IMF mission for Slovenia, said on Friday. This means Slovenia’s economy would reach the pre-pandemic level next year.

Karavanke Tunnel work on Slovenian side on schedule

Jesenice – Work on the second tube of the Karavanke Tunnel on the border with Austria is on schedule. Turkish Cengiz workers have already bored some 550 metres of what is a roughly 3.5-km tube on the Slovenian side. No major problems have been encountered since boring started last August and is expected to be completed in two years.

Liquidity of businesses good but deteriorating, FinMin says

Brussels – The liquidity of companies in Slovenia is good, but deteriorating. The government is working on new schemes to help businesses capable of surviving the crisis, Finance Minister Andrej Šircelj told his counterparts from other EU countries and the Eurozone in online meetings on Monday and Tuesday.

Minister says Slovenia on pace in drafting recovery plan

Brussels, – Finance Minister Andrej Šircelj said Slovenia was in constant touch with the European Commission in drafting its recovery plan and would meet the deadline. He said he would like to see as little red tape as possible while declining to announce when the plan will be in Brussels, saying that “this is not a competition.”

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