WEBVTT

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Welcome to the press conference

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after the 34th regular session
of the Government.

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Today, the Government, which on
behalf of the Republic of Slovenia

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exercises the rights of a partner
in the Slovenian Press Agency,

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approved the contract on the
management of the public service

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of the Slovenian Press Agency
for this year.

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The value of the contract
is €243,600 higher than last year,

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which amounts to 10% higher.

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The Government authorised

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the acting director of the Government
Communication Office, i.e. me,

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to sign and implement the contract.

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With this contract
and after the disputed regulation

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on the operation
of STA was abolished,

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STA is guaranteed normal financing
for the performance of public service.

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The Slovenian Press Agency
performs important journalistic work

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of constant, comprehensive, accurate
and objective provision of information

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about events in Slovenia
and around the world.

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The financial uncertainty that has
plagued STA recently is now over.

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According
to the STA business plan,

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the money allocated is sufficient for
the normal operation of the agency.

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The Government
reduced the cost of energy

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of the other public
medium in Slovenia, RTV Slovenia,

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in the amount of
3.5 million euros.

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In both laws that
apply to public media,

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it is written that it is
the duty of the founder

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to ensure institutional autonomy,
editorial independence

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and adequate funding for the
implementation of the public service,

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which the Government is implementing
with the aforementioned measures.

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The economic, financial
and cultural ministries

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are also looking for solutions
for private media.

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The Minister for the Environment,
Climate and Energy Bojan Kumer

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will, as he announced yesterday,
present the regulation

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which will limit
the price of natural gas

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for protected consumers
of remote heating systems.

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Hello. As we said yesterday,

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today the Government adopted
an amendment to the regulation

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to limit the maximum
retail price of natural gas

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for remote heating
systems and the consumers

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that meet the criteria
of protected consumers.

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The price of natural gas
is limited

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to a maximum of €79
per megawatt hour.

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This regulation is valid from
1 January 2023 onwards.

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Who are protected consumers?

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Social services, kindergartens,
primary schools, medical centres

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and all those included in this
amendment to the regulation

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connected to remote heating systems
or heat distributors. Thank you.

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Any question here? No.

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Ema Čepon, you had questions
yesterday, go ahead. Pop TV.

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Just a moment,
we can't hear you yet.

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Can you hear me?

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Can you hear me?

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Can you hear me?

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Yes, we can hear you.
-Okay.

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Limited prices apply
for kindergartens, schools,

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and all other protected consumers,
as you announced.

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I would point out
a concrete example.

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The municipality of Hrastnik
is concerned about other consumers.

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From volunteer fire brigades

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to the only swimming pool
in the region, a gym, the Red Cross.

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They are concerned
about business consumers

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who also have very high bills.

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Are they protected consumers,
are you preparing something for them

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or should each municipality
solve this

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in agreement
with the energy providers?

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In Hrastnik,
they met with Petrol today.

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The Government
and the competent ministry

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addressed the energy costliness
in the second half of 2022.

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We tried to cover as many consumers
as possible, from households,

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small businesses, protected
consumers, public institutions,

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medium and large consumers.

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As far as the public service of heat
supply from remote heating systems,

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we decided to share the burden.

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The Government limited the
input energy source, natural gas,

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for household consumers, vulnerable
consumers, protected consumers,

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while certain business consumers
could get an aid refund.

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All those consumers who do not
have a regulated retail price

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or are not covered by regulations,

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have the possibility to get help
according to the law prepared

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by the previous Ministry of Economy,
Development and Technology.

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Ema Čepon, go ahead.

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If I understand correctly,
for everyone else,

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i.e. societies, fire brigades,
swimming pools, gyms,

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this is in the domain
of the Ministry of Economy.

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Who can provide them with help?

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We offered
several types of aid.

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It was agreed
upon and communicated

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also with the remote heating sector

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to distribute the costs
of district heating systems.

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The highest costs
are for those systems that use gas,

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but they didn't buy it
in time for this year.

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For what you are asking,

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the Economic Assistance Act
should be looked at.

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I think that it is currently being
amended in the National Assembly.

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We amended it

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so that those consumers who are
not covered by the regulation,

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if they meet the conditions
specified in the law,

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can ask for an aid refund
through Spirit.

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Again Ema Čepon, go ahead.

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Perhaps a look back
at the core of the problem.

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Why is there such a gap between
the prices of remote heating

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between different municipalities,
different energy companies?

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Because the energy companies
did not catch the right time

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to buy natural gas
at its best price?

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Is this the crux of the problem?

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There are several reasons.

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We entered
the energy crisis period

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with very different starting points.

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The consumers
had very different starting points.

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Some procured the input energy
for several years in advance,

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and some bought it on the fly,

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maybe yearly,
some even quarterly or monthly.

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There were different strategies.

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The Government tried
to cover as much as possible

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and limit the prices of energy.

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Those consumers who followed
the markets in the past

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may have been able
to catch lower prices.

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Those who did not buy energy
for last year the year before,

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that is 2021 for 2022...

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Due to the crisis in Ukraine,
energy prices rose in February,

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so they missed
the right moment.

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We had to address
these consumers first.

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The situations
are really very different.

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With various measures, we tried
to cover all consumer groups.

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Go ahead.

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One last question.

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So the kindergartens will now

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be affected by the price cap.

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What will the financial consequences
be and who will must bear them?

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We'll edit the regulation
on reimbursements.

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As you know we've pushed
through two regulations.

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The difference in price
for the suppliers

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and their actual costs
will be monitored

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by Borzen.

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There are two regulations.
One for gas and one for electricity.

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We'll include this in the regulation
appendix that is yet to be prepared.

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We're not in a hurry,
because no invoices were issued.

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We have a week or two
to prepare the appendix.

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It's really good that the majority
of the energy costs

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in the approximation
of the natural gas costs,

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even if used by an individual
or by remote heating

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are already included in financial
consequences of those regulations.

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We have a whole year ahead.

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Another important factor
is the temperature.

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If the year is warmer,
as the first half of January suggests,

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the financial consequences will be
diminished because the costs will be lower

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as well as the energy consumption.

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If the year is cold,

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then we'll stop
at the approximated costs.

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We had to foresee
the worst possible scenario.

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Let's wait how the events unfold.

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I don't expect
more severe financial consequences.

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This one will really be the last.

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Just a second.

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I lost it.

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Thank you very much,
that would be all.

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Don't worry, it happens.
Thank you, Minister. -Thank you.

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The two journalists who are present
wanted to ask me a few questions.

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Lea Majcen, STA.

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We'd like to know when the contract
with STA will be signed.

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Are there any changes to the Act
on the STA planned to prevent

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that the agency
receives no funding.

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The Director is signing
the contract tomorrow at 12.00.

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The media will be invited.

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The Ministry for Culture
will oversee any changes to the Act.

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I suggest you ask
them for comments.

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I am certain they will listen
to your wishes.

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The Act is 10 years old
and could use some freshening up.

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But they definitely know more.

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Lea Kalc Furlanič, Demokracija.

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I'd like to ask
about the photographs.

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Apparently there were some
irregularities with Mr. Veselinovič.

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The photos are deemed a public service
which is free of charge.

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Despite that he sold them.
What will happen now?

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The same applies. Four photographs
must be free of charge.

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As a public service
in that format.

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Because the photographers complained
that their market is being crashed,

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we tried to cater to them
while following the Act

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which says that four high-resolution
photographs must be free of charge.

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Thank you.

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The Court of Audit ...

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The public has not yet been informed

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about the audit of STA operations.

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Do you have any information about that?
-We do.

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Last year we held a discussion
with the Court of Audit.

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We presented our situation
at UKOM and Ministry for Culture.

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The audit began
at the end of last year.

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We expect the conclusion
in the second quarter of 2023.

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We expect additional guidelines
on how to change the Act.

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We are cooperating with them fully
and hope we receive the guidelines

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on how STA should function.

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They will find out
if there were irregularities.

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Could you shortly sum up

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the reason for the 10% increase

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in STA financing.

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It is well known that the costs
are higher, there is inflation,

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so I believe it's correct
that the Government pledged

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more financing so that they wouldn't
must operate off donations like before.

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They still have to
continue with market services

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which amount to a half
of their income.

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They must have a great
understanding of the market.

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Does this mean more employees?

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This is their job.

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Maybe their salaries will rise.

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More on that from the company itself,
which is completely independent.

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They need to retain
this independence

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and we can't dictate
them what to do.

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We've enabled this together with
their working plan that was confirmed.

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One more thing about UKOM.

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The public tender
for the director is in progress.

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You can apply by February 1.
-Will you? -I will.

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It's for a five-year mandate.

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It's like before.

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Any government can relieve
you of your duties in an instant.

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Thank you and good luck.
-Thank you.

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Yes, go ahead.

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Majcen STA.

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Has the government confirmed
the Act on judges' salaries?

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Due to the nomotechnical corrections
it will be confirmed shortly.

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Thank you.

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Today's press conference is ending.
Thank you.