WEBVTT

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Esteemed journalists,

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other media representatives
and everyone watching,

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welcome to today's
press conference,

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where we will present the decrees
the government adopted

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at yesterday's
correspondence session.

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We are joined
by Bojan Kumer,

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Minister of the Environment,
Climate and Energy,

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Igor Glušič,
director of Komunala Trbovlje,

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and Boris Novak,
director of Energetika Maribor.

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Minister, please explain
to your counterparts

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what these decrees mean for the
bills of individual households.

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Thank you. As you said, there was
a correspondence session yesterday

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where the government
acted very quickly.

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The government
had already adopted measures

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long ago,
on October 27th.

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The government capped
the price of natural gas,

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believing that this would have
a sufficient effect

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on final retail prices of heating
of district heating companies.

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We also wanted
to divide part of the burden

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among
the district heating systems

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and local administrations
or rather municipalities.

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We largely succeeded.

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Prices of heating are competitive,
capped and affordable.

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However, the district heating
companies of Trbovlje, Maribor

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Nova Gorica
and Ravne na Koroškem

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had made a number of decisions
in the past

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that made this measure
insufficient.

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That is why
we needed to act further.

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We were alerted
by our colleagues last week

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during the meeting
on the analysis of the situtation.

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We prepared a decree
over the weekend

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so we could quickly and efficiently
provide affordable heating

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to the residents
of those parts of Slovenia.

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The goal of this government
had always been

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to act quickly
and efficiently

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and to cap heating prices
before and during winter.

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The decree
that was adopted yesterday

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caps the variable part
of the prices of heating

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and also prevents
the transfer of costs

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to the fixed parts of other rates
of other consumer groups.

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It caps the price upwards,
to 98,7 EUR per megawatt hour.

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There are a few
district heating companies

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in addition
to the aforementioned ones

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that are still
a bit above this limit.

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The average prices of all district
heating companies in Slovenia

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range from 45 to 160 EUR
per megawatt hour.

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So the government's measure
lands in the lower half.

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I also have to point out

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that this decree came into effect
on January 1st 2023.

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Bills have not been
issued yet.

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In accordance with our agreement
with both directors

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and the president
of the district heating section

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the other companies
will also adapt

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and comply with the measures
and this decree.

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We are also additionally
appealing to the management,

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in this case director Novak
of Energetika Maribor

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and director Glušič
of Komunala Trbovlje,

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to come up with their own programs
for vulnerable groups

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that either have
poorly insulated homes

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or cannot afford
the higher costs.

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So, we are appealing to them
for these programs

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and to municipalites
to help with this,

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as other municipalities
have helped

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complement
government measures.

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It is also important to note
that this decree addressed

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the price of heating
for all users this winter.

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The decree will be in force
until April 30th.

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I hope we can prepare
for next winter in time

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so that such upward capping
will not be as necessary next year.

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That is all for now.
-Then there was the decree

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on the subsidies
for the purchase of wood pellets.

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How did you intend
for this to help the public?

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We also adopted
this decree yesterday.

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It is an implementing act

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based on
the Act on Intervention Measures,

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so that the economic public service
Borzen d.o.o.

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can pay out subsidies for wood
pellets to natural persons,

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so that everyone who purchased
wood pellets for heating

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from September 1st
to December 31st 2022

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can have
part of their expenses reimbursed.

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We standardised this appropriately
in the Act.

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In the decree
that we adopted yesterday

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we also set
the payment method,

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we set more detailed conditions
regarding proof of payment

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that claimants need to present
in their application,

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and we defined the content of the
online application in more detail.

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I am glad that the
economic public service Borzen

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swiftly created
a completely digital process

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that will be quick
and more effective.

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We also ensured that users who are
less versed in digital and IT skills

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can also submit their applications
in the regular manner.

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Borzen has one month
from the adoption of the decree,

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which was published
in the Official Journal yesterday,

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to prepare this application
and the conditions for claimants.

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Thank you.
I invite to the podium

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Mr. Igor Glušič,
director of Komunala Trbovlje,

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where the residents
were most upset about the bills.

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Let us reassure them
with this measure.

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I was already faced with extremely
high heating prices in Trbovlje

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in the middle of last year.

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In the past five months
we have used strong measures

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in order to lower
the price of heating.

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I would first like to thank
the Minister and the government

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for quickly addressing
the real problems

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that our users face
in their households

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and found a solution
that will benefit everyone.

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We conduct
all mandatory and optional

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economic public services
In Trbovlje.

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This means that, in addition to the
costs of heating and hot water,

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citizens also receive
a bill for all other services,

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which comprise
a large portion of the invoice.

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Due to the market conditions

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and the positive effects
caused by the decree,

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or rather the government act

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that capped
the price of gas for households,

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we announced in January

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that we can further reduce
the price of heating.

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Despite this, we saw that
the citizens' bills will be higher

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due to lower temperatures.

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That is why we promised
an additional 15 % discount

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on heating in January
for all households in Trbovlje

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and we will do so regardless
of the government's decree.

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Of the approximately
4000 households in Trbovlje

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that we provide
heating services to,

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about 87 % of all households
pay up to 200 EUR per month

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for heating
and hot water services.

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It was said that there are users
with exceptionally high bills,

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over 300 or 400 EUR.
These comprise about 2 %.

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Together with the municipality,
who we work with very well,

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we will address them
and we are appealing to them

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to turn to us and the municipality
for aid.

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For nonrefundable aid
for socially vulnerable groups

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and for payment
in installments

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for those who cannot pay
in such a short time.

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We estimate
that the government measure

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will reduce the cost of heating
by approximately 34 EUR

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for a 70 m2 three-person apartment
in an insulated building.

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I also have to say
that most users in Trbovlje

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use both heating
and hot water services.

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Both of these together
create costs

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that citizens find hard to cope
with in the current situation.

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Again, we appeal to the citizens
to turn to the municipality

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the mechanisms
that the municipality provides,

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and to turn to us as well
for aid.

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In the coming period
we will also provide advice

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on what citizens can do

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to lower the costs of heating
in apartment buildings,

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where the costs depend
on multiple users.

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Thank you.
How will it be in Maribor?

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The CEO of Energetika Maribor will
tell us what the prices will be.

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Thank you. First, I want to say

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that the decree
means two things.

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Firstly, the Government
of the Republic of Slovenia

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and the Ministry
of Inftrastructure

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that is now called differently,
followed our suggestions

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about the problems
we mentioned in Maribor.

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They showed that the government
and the ministry respond

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to our specific problems.

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And secondly, the decree
that was passed yesterday means

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that for a 53m2 big apartment
in Maribor,

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the heating price without this
intervention would be €145

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and now, it will be €109.
For a 69m2 big apartment,

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the price before was € 185.90

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and now, it will be €140.
There is quite a big difference.

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We believe we will keep
cooperating with the government

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and we will successfully overcome
all the challenges.

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Thank you. -Thank you. I invite
journalists being with us online

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because they aren't here, to raise
their hand if they want a word

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and ask their question.
I will ask you to do it.

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Ema Čepon of Pop TV
is trying to log in. She has a word.

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We can't hear you.
-Can you hear me?

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Yes. Go ahead.
-Thank you. I have two questions.

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The first one is
about schools and kindergartens.

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Some municipalities
are saying

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that parents
will have to pay the heating.

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The municipalities
can't pay it alone.

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What measures will you pass?
Are you preparing something?

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The second question
is also for the minister.

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How has the work changed
at the new ministry,

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what does it mean logistically,
how many people will be moved?

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Do you have any information about
how many people will be employed

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at the ministry
and what will the budget be?

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Thank you. First,
I will answer the last question.

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Yesterday,
the parliament completed

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the reconstruction
of the government.

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It will take some time,

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a week, maybe a month,
to amend the budget.

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I want to stick
to the today's topic

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and come back
to these questions later,

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when we will have the information
about the budget

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of the new
and reorganised ministries.

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The number of employees
changes almost daily.

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I want to thank the ministers
with whom we share our tasks

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for a respectful dialogue.
Changes are a part of life

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and if we want
a modern government,

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we have to follow
modern guidelines.

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Slovenia now has
the ministry for climate change

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and can start shaping
climate policies.

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To the first question,
I can say

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that the second part
of the cost of living crisis

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from last year
is to equate schools, kindergartens

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and other protected consumers
that get the heating

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from individual devices,

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which means gas,
or district heating.

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We are coordinating

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and working
with the Office for legislation

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and the Ministry of Finance
to amend the decree

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where we would limit
gas prices

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for schools and kindergartens
to €79/MWh.

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I hope the government
will discuss it tomorrow

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or maybe in a couple of days

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and pass it. With it,
all the consumers will be equated

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and treated equally.

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This was also the wish of all
remote heating systems CEOs,

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for all such customers
to be treated in the same way.

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We will soon adopt this part
of the regulation as well.

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Thank you very much.
Next is Dejan Rat, Radio Maribor.

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Hello. My first question
is for the Minister.

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The Government limited the price
to €98.70. With or without VAT?

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Without VAT.
This is the net price.

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As you know,
both CEOs emphasised

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that the variable heat price is
only one of the items on the bill.

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Remote heating systems
are arranged differently,

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therefore, at the end,
VAT is added to all these items.

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Do you have a sub-question,
Mr Dejan?

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On the Energetika Maribor website,
all prices include VAT,

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so that people will have a better
idea if they do the calculations.

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Another question for the Minister
and the CEO of Energetika Maribor.

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What does this gap mean?

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In Maribor, the announced
price was a little less than €150,

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now the price is €98.70.

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Who will cover
the difference and how?

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I am sure that my colleagues
in the individual energy departments

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will correct the information
on the websites.

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The key here is that both CEOs
talked about the amount of the bill.

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That's what counts in the end.

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As for your question, I can say

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that the Government must supplement
the reimbursement regulation.

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We will have to return
the negative difference

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which will be caused to
individual remote heating systems.

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These analyses are ongoing.

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I must praise the Energy Agency,
which cooperated constructively.

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They performed analyses
over the weekend,

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so that we could
calculate accurately.

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I'm happy...

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First, remote heating systems
will have to demonstrate precisely

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what is the negative difference
and why.

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If they can prove it, the Government
will refund them the difference.

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I give the floor...
-Go ahead.

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As said, the regulation
was passed yesterday,

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new calculations
are still being made.

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Corrections will also be published
on the Energetika Maribor website.

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A calculator that is
informational in nature

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will also be usable with new data.

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We should point out

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that the Government of the
Republic of Slovenia or the Ministry

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is not the institution
we could turn to for all problems.

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With financial optimisation
and efficient operations

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we will have to shoulder
some of this burden,

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which is also represented by the
social distress of some in Maribor.

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Thank you very much.

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Any more questions, Mr Dejan?

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I would like to ask Mr Novak.

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Information
for residents of Maribor.

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How much of a percentage increase
will there be based on these numbers?

00:19:07.398 --> 00:19:11.539
Compared to the bill...

00:19:11.660 --> 00:19:14.305
If we did not adopt the regulation,

00:19:14.426 --> 00:19:20.012
this increase would be 63%
compared to December 2022.

00:19:20.233 --> 00:19:23.902
Now the amount will increase by 22%.

00:19:24.118 --> 00:19:30.954
We will make and announce the final
calculations by the end of this week.

00:19:31.855 --> 00:19:35.620
Thank you very much.
Ema Čepon, Pop TV.

00:19:40.204 --> 00:19:45.361
Regarding wood pellets. You say
part of the cost will be reimbursed.

00:19:45.482 --> 00:19:52.344
How will it be determined
who is entitled to reimbursement?

00:19:53.710 --> 00:19:58.100
The application
for reimbursement eligibility

00:19:58.221 --> 00:20:01.693
will have to contain at least
two supporting documents.

00:20:01.814 --> 00:20:06.512
The beneficiary will have to
prove the installation of the device

00:20:06.767 --> 00:20:11.950
and provide a bill

00:20:12.145 --> 00:20:18.405
which must be dated for the period
defined in the law.

00:20:18.526 --> 00:20:21.657
From September 1 to December 31.

00:20:21.778 --> 00:20:27.382
In addition to all other
personal data, address, etc.

00:20:29.365 --> 00:20:34.177
No more questions. Thank you
and have a nice day. Goodbye.

00:20:34.298 --> 00:20:36.298
Thank you very much.