Welcome to the press conference
after the 34th regular session of the Government.
Today, the Government, which on behalf of the Republic of Slovenia
exercises the rights of a partner in the Slovenian Press Agency,
approved the contract on the management of the public service
of the Slovenian Press Agency for this year.
The value of the contract is €243,600 higher than last year,
which amounts to 10% higher.
The Government authorised
the acting director of the Government Communication Office, i.e. me,
to sign and implement the contract.
With this contract and after the disputed regulation
on the operation of STA was abolished,
STA is guaranteed normal financing for the performance of public service.
The Slovenian Press Agency performs important journalistic work
of constant, comprehensive, accurate and objective provision of information
about events in Slovenia and around the world.
The financial uncertainty that has plagued STA recently is now over.
According to the STA business plan,
the money allocated is sufficient for the normal operation of the agency.
The Government reduced the cost of energy
of the other public medium in Slovenia, RTV Slovenia,
in the amount of 3.5 million euros.
In both laws that apply to public media,
it is written that it is the duty of the founder
to ensure institutional autonomy, editorial independence
and adequate funding for the implementation of the public service,
which the Government is implementing with the aforementioned measures.
The economic, financial and cultural ministries
are also looking for solutions for private media.
The Minister for the Environment, Climate and Energy Bojan Kumer
will, as he announced yesterday, present the regulation
which will limit the price of natural gas
for protected consumers of remote heating systems.
Hello. As we said yesterday,
today the Government adopted an amendment to the regulation
to limit the maximum retail price of natural gas
for remote heating systems and the consumers
that meet the criteria of protected consumers.
The price of natural gas is limited
to a maximum of €79 per megawatt hour.
This regulation is valid from 1 January 2023 onwards.
Who are protected consumers?
Social services, kindergartens, primary schools, medical centres
and all those included in this amendment to the regulation
connected to remote heating systems or heat distributors. Thank you.
Any question here? No.
Ema Čepon, you had questions yesterday, go ahead. Pop TV.
Just a moment, we can't hear you yet.
Can you hear me?
Yes, we can hear you. -Okay.
Limited prices apply for kindergartens, schools,
and all other protected consumers, as you announced.
I would point out a concrete example.
The municipality of Hrastnik is concerned about other consumers.
From volunteer fire brigades
to the only swimming pool in the region, a gym, the Red Cross.
They are concerned about business consumers
who also have very high bills.
Are they protected consumers, are you preparing something for them
or should each municipality solve this
in agreement with the energy providers?
In Hrastnik, they met with Petrol today.
The Government and the competent ministry
addressed the energy costliness in the second half of 2022.
We tried to cover as many consumers as possible, from households,
small businesses, protected consumers, public institutions,
medium and large consumers.
As far as the public service of heat supply from remote heating systems,
we decided to share the burden.
The Government limited the input energy source, natural gas,
for household consumers, vulnerable consumers, protected consumers,
while certain business consumers could get an aid refund.
All those consumers who do not have a regulated retail price
or are not covered by regulations,
have the possibility to get help according to the law prepared
by the previous Ministry of Economy, Development and Technology.
Ema Čepon, go ahead.
If I understand correctly, for everyone else,
i.e. societies, fire brigades, swimming pools, gyms,
this is in the domain of the Ministry of Economy.
Who can provide them with help?
We offered several types of aid.
It was agreed upon and communicated
also with the remote heating sector
to distribute the costs of district heating systems.
The highest costs are for those systems that use gas,
but they didn't buy it in time for this year.
For what you are asking,
the Economic Assistance Act should be looked at.
I think that it is currently being amended in the National Assembly.
We amended it
so that those consumers who are not covered by the regulation,
if they meet the conditions specified in the law,
can ask for an aid refund through Spirit.
Again Ema Čepon, go ahead.
Perhaps a look back at the core of the problem.
Why is there such a gap between the prices of remote heating
between different municipalities, different energy companies?
Because the energy companies did not catch the right time
to buy natural gas at its best price?
Is this the crux of the problem?
There are several reasons.
We entered the energy crisis period
with very different starting points.
The consumers had very different starting points.
Some procured the input energy for several years in advance,
and some bought it on the fly,
maybe yearly, some even quarterly or monthly.
There were different strategies.
The Government tried to cover as much as possible
and limit the prices of energy.
Those consumers who followed the markets in the past
may have been able to catch lower prices.
Those who did not buy energy for last year the year before,
that is 2021 for 2022...
Due to the crisis in Ukraine, energy prices rose in February,
so they missed the right moment.
We had to address these consumers first.
The situations are really very different.
With various measures, we tried to cover all consumer groups.
Go ahead.
One last question.
So the kindergartens will now
be affected by the price cap.
What will the financial consequences be and who will must bear them?
We'll edit the regulation on reimbursements.
As you know we've pushed through two regulations.
The difference in price for the suppliers
and their actual costs will be monitored
by Borzen.
There are two regulations. One for gas and one for electricity.
We'll include this in the regulation appendix that is yet to be prepared.
We're not in a hurry, because no invoices were issued.
We have a week or two to prepare the appendix.
It's really good that the majority of the energy costs
in the approximation of the natural gas costs,
even if used by an individual or by remote heating
are already included in financial consequences of those regulations.
We have a whole year ahead.
Another important factor is the temperature.
If the year is warmer, as the first half of January suggests,
the financial consequences will be diminished because the costs will be lower
as well as the energy consumption.
If the year is cold,
then we'll stop at the approximated costs.
We had to foresee the worst possible scenario.
Let's wait how the events unfold.
I don't expect more severe financial consequences.
This one will really be the last.
Just a second.
I lost it.
Thank you very much, that would be all.
Don't worry, it happens. Thank you, Minister. -Thank you.
The two journalists who are present wanted to ask me a few questions.
Lea Majcen, STA.
We'd like to know when the contract with STA will be signed.
Are there any changes to the Act on the STA planned to prevent
that the agency receives no funding.
The Director is signing the contract tomorrow at 12.00.
The media will be invited.
The Ministry for Culture will oversee any changes to the Act.
I suggest you ask them for comments.
I am certain they will listen to your wishes.
The Act is 10 years old and could use some freshening up.
But they definitely know more.
Lea Kalc Furlanič, Demokracija.
I'd like to ask about the photographs.
Apparently there were some irregularities with Mr. Veselinovič.
The photos are deemed a public service which is free of charge.
Despite that he sold them. What will happen now?
The same applies. Four photographs must be free of charge.
As a public service in that format.
Because the photographers complained that their market is being crashed,
we tried to cater to them while following the Act
which says that four high-resolution photographs must be free of charge.
Thank you.
The Court of Audit ...
The public has not yet been informed
about the audit of STA operations.
Do you have any information about that? -We do.
Last year we held a discussion with the Court of Audit.
We presented our situation at UKOM and Ministry for Culture.
The audit began at the end of last year.
We expect the conclusion in the second quarter of 2023.
We expect additional guidelines on how to change the Act.
We are cooperating with them fully and hope we receive the guidelines
on how STA should function.
They will find out if there were irregularities.
Could you shortly sum up
the reason for the 10% increase
in STA financing.
It is well known that the costs are higher, there is inflation,
so I believe it's correct that the Government pledged
more financing so that they wouldn't must operate off donations like before.
They still have to continue with market services
which amount to a half of their income.
They must have a great understanding of the market.
Does this mean more employees?
This is their job.
Maybe their salaries will rise.
More on that from the company itself, which is completely independent.
They need to retain this independence
and we can't dictate them what to do.
We've enabled this together with their working plan that was confirmed.
One more thing about UKOM.
The public tender for the director is in progress.
You can apply by February 1. -Will you? -I will.
It's for a five-year mandate.
It's like before.
Any government can relieve you of your duties in an instant.
Thank you and good luck. -Thank you.
Yes, go ahead.
Majcen STA.
Has the government confirmed the Act on judges' salaries?
Due to the nomotechnical corrections it will be confirmed shortly.
Thank you.
Today's press conference is ending. Thank you.