Dear journalists, media representatives,
and all who are watching us. Welcome to our press conference
in the wake of the 45th regular meeting of the government.
On the agenda were two proposed decrees that would prevent insurers
from further hiking their premiums. Health Minister Danijel Bešič
Loredan will tell you more. At today's meeting, the government
decided to extend the cap on the retail price of electricity
and natural gas for households, as well as small and medium-sized
businesses, to the end of this year. Environment, Climate, and Energy
Minister Bojan Kumer will speak on this subject. And finally,
the government adopted a position today regarding the National
Council's request that the Assembly once again consider changes
to the Foreigners' Act, which eliminates administrative obstacles
and reduces the burden on administrative offices.
This amendment make is easier for foreigners to be employed,
and enables free lessons of Slovenian. We'll hear
hear from the State Secretary at the Interior Ministry, Tina Heferle.
Hello, everyone. Today, the government issued
the first decree, which serves as the basis
for tomorrow's correspondence meeting, where we plan
to enact a decree limiting the premium for supplementary
health insurance to a maximum of €35.67. That's the highest amount
now being paid by citizens
for supplementary health insurance.
After Tuesday's filing of the MP's bill,
the government reacted immediately.
Mr. Han's ministry and our ministry
exchanged opinions and teams. We determined how to obtain
a legal basis for this. After all, supplementary health insurance
is in the national interest and has a direct effect
on the funding of the healthcare system. Based on the announcement
by one of the insurers about a big rate hike, the government
reacted right away. Effective from May 1, the upper limit
for supplementary insurance is set at €35.67. That's the cap.
This will be in effect until a law is passed that will abolish
supplementary health insurance in this form.
With this, we're taking the side of the people.
The government thereby takes on the responsibility for everything
that will happen within the healthcare system,
such as an increase in costs. Healthcare is getting
more expensive, but the government finds any premium hikes
unacceptable until the bill put forth on Tuesday
isn't withdrawn. The prices may not change.
That's why we issued our first decree today.
After it's published in the Official Gazette,
we'll issue the second one tomorrow, and we'll have completed our task
for the benefit of the people in the form of a cap
set at €35.67 until supplementary insurance is abolished.
Thank you, Minister. I trust there are many questions from the press.
We have a question here from Metka Majer, Pop TV.
If we understand this correctly, this thwarts the plans
of the insurance company that has already announced
the hike. So they won't be able to ignore this?
That's right. When the decree is issued tomorrow, the hike
won't happen. We, the government, intervened with all our legal
resources, so the increase is no longer possible.
Beginning on May 1, the upper limit is set at €35.67.
That's the maximum price of supplementary health insurance
for as long as it exists in its present form.
After your meeting on Friday and the announcement of
further talks, did you get in touch with the insurance companies?
What are their plans and how will you communicate with them?
If we receive a formal proposal for cooperation with the ministry
regarding long-term financing, we'll meet with the insurers.
We always like to meet with all three insurers,
but the situation has flipped. They need to come up
with the initiative, given these changes.
Just so there's no misunderstanding, the CEO of the insurer
that panned a premium hike on May 1 tried to reach me, in my role
as minister, both formally and informally.
But that's a lobbying contact, so meeting with her
would have been unacceptable. Of course, if the insurers
had realized that supplementary health insurance
is one of foundations for financing public healthcare
and not just an insurance product,
the story could have turned out differently.
But the announcement was crystal clear,
and it was said they had no option because they are operating
at a loss and the increases should be borne by the people,
we had to react and we did.
Minister, we have several questions here.
To make things clear, there are two decrees.
One was issued, while the other will be issued
after a correspondence meeting for procedural reasons.
So did the government issue a decree today capping the premium?
The government issued the legal basis,
which is under the auspices of Minister Han.
We'll issue a decree at our correspondence meeting tomorrow.
There's a procedure, which involves the publication of the decree
in the Official Gazette today. Only then will we have
the legal basis to cap the premium.
Thank you. -A follow-up question
about what you mentioned. About the insurers,
is there a chance for at least a part of their activity
or their employees to be transferred
to the health insurance corporation?
We're at a point where we're eliminating the current form
of supplementary health insurance.
We introduced a compulsory healthcare contribution
in the amount of €35 until the end of 2024.
But we're now facing the fact that well have to use
all the calculations to ensure, by the spring of next year,
stable financing of our public healthcare system.
Anyone who wants to take part in this process is welcome
to submit proposals. This is something
that has been up in the air for 20 years. We've always transferred
this burden to the people. Let's not forget that seven or eight
years ago, we had substantial increases in premiums.
The people accepted it back then, but in the post-Covid era,
when everything is unsettled in the healthcare system,
and we can see that healthcare costs will rise,
we must react to this as the government.
Let's go online now. Kaja Kobetič, 24 Ur/Svet.
Hello. Minister, you're saying that supplementary health
insurance will now cost €35 at the most,
but the insurers say they don't have any more money.
Is there a risk for the scope of healthcare services
to be limited as a result?
Absolutely not. We need to be clear. The government has taken on
the responsibility that the healthcare bundle,
which consists of compulsory and supplementary insurance,
will remain unchanged. The people will not see
any reduction in the benefits. Everything else remains the same.
We merely capped the supplementary insurance premium,
and when the bill that was submitted on Tuesday becomes law,
supplementary insurance in this form will be abolished
and a compulsory healthcare contribution will be introduced.
The resulting difference will be covered within
the healthcare system, but if the money runs out,
we'll finance it from the budget.
The bill is subject to the regular procedure,
so good proposals can still be considered. -Right. We would like
to see a lively debate and a consensus.
After 15 years of trying, we never reached this point.
We're now united and have a historic opportunity
to find consensus about abolishing supplementary insurance,
which must go through parliament, and a solution for long-term,
sustainable funding of the public healthcare system.
Another question from Kaja Kobetič?
Just a follow-up. What happens in the period after the premiums
are capped but before the law is passed?
Everything remains the same. Until the law is passed,
we'll have supplementary health insurance,
which is being marketed by all three insurers.
The only difference is the limit on premiums
for supplementary insurance, which is set at €35.67.
Another question, from STA.
There are still some uncertainties about supplementary health insurance
for retirees, which is funded by ZPIS, and for the unemployed,
which is funded by municipalities. Who will cover these €35
under the new law? -Supplementary health
insurance is being paid by the retirees from the net amount.
That won't change, only the net amount will probably be paid out
by ZPIS... We'll come to an agreement.
Right now, retirees receive a net pension.
From this amount, they give a certain amount to the insurer.
We'll now find a way to pay a part of this net amount
directly to the ZZZS. For them, nothing will change.
What about the unemployed? -We have a poverty threshold.
We'll determine how this will work as we take up the bill,
but if someone can't afford the premium,
we'll fund it from the budget.
Go ahead please. -Any other questions?
If not, thank you to the minister.
We'll continue with measures to address rising costs,
which will be introduced by Minister Kumer.
Go ahead, Minister.
Thank you, Petra. Today, the government extended
the regulation, in the form of caps, of electricity and natural
gas prices for households, for small business users,
and for small and medium-sized companies until the end of 2023.
This means that households, small business users,
and small and medium-sized companies will continue to pay reduced rates
for electricity and natural gas compared to what they would
have paid without this cap.
With this measure, the government is helping
households and all people to weather
rising energy costs.
For small business users, as well as small and medium-sized companies,
which are the driving forces of economic growth,
it provides what these users need most,
which is a stable, competitive, and predictable environment
in which they can conduct their business until the end of 2023.
Our analysis has shown that the situation on the market
remains sufficiently uncertain to justify price caps
and the setting of maximum retail process
for the entire period concluding at the end of this year.
We're also justified in continuing this measure for all the groups
benefiting from the retail price cap we introduced last year.
The extension of these measures until the end of the year
means that we're staying within the framework
of budgetary consequences that we had foreseen last year
for 2023. This means that the impact will be smaller than planned.
At the time, we planned a maximum of €350 million
as annual compensation paid out to suppliers.
Thank you. -Thank you. Do we have any questions here?
We do have one on 24 Ur/Svet.
We're online now.
Hello. Sandra Boršič. The Chamber of Craft and Small Business
said that they expected the regulated prices
to be even lower and that Slovenia is not competitive
with other countries. How do you comment this, and have you thought
of further lowering the prices, or is this out of the question?
Our dialog is ongoing. We set it up in the first quarter
of 2024. We've identified three open issues.
The most pressing issue was the previously undefined nature
of the price cap extension.
The government reacted very quickly during the summer months
and managed to cap retail prices for the fall and the winter.
Even back then, the suppliers were offering annual products.
We had suppliers with annual contracts
covering electricity and natural gas,
but we also had a situation in the winter,
because these measures worked both on the European
and the national levels, that retail prices dropped.
The price indices from before regulation and now
are simply incomparable. For the most part, the prices
were set on an annual basis, so this discrepancy
also emerged on an annual basis. We're now creating a predictable,
competitive environment for all users, including businesses.
But we're not lowering prices because we had annual prices
that were the basis for our caps.
Any follow-up questions? Go ahead.
Would you consider extending this measure to 2024?
Energy companies have stated that long-term regulation
doesn't make sense and that current retail energy prices
than the regulated ones, in the case of small businesses,
for instance. What do you think? Is regulation sustainable
for the year ahead? -Our primary focus
has been to ensure low prices for the people
and competitive conditions for businesses,
ones that are comparable to those in nearby countries.
Before the winter, we focused on reliable supplies.
We also needed to adopt many measures that got us through
the winter. We had promised to conduct a thorough analysis
after the winter, and if that analysis showed
that extending the cap made sense, and that's what happened,
we would opt for the cap.
You're asking about 2024. We're lucky that the price
for 2024, as you mentioned, is currently lower
than the regulated price for medium-sized companies.
We encourage companies to pre-purchase at least some
of their electricity needs for this year in line
with their plans for 2024. We'd like to see the end
or regulation for mid-sized and large companies next year.
We're also working on analyses about how we should proceed
over the next few months regarding households
and small businesses. In this case, the market price
doesn't yet allow the level ensured by the cap,
so we'll see what to do with this segment for 2024.
I hope that within a month or two, we'll also find
solutions for this segment.
Anything else?
Just a moment, so I can...
Do we hear each other?
If I understand you correctly, you wish you won't need
to regulate prices for companies next year, but I didn't quite
understand what will happen with households.
Also, the price in Germany is still €130. Companies say
that we aren't competitive with other countries.
You have two pieces of information that aren't connected.
The amount of €130 can be attained by companies in Germany
under specific circumstances. According to my information,
this measure isn't in force yet, but it has been announced
for specific types of companies. It also hasn't been approved
by the European Commission yet. It's still under consideration.
Second, some of our companies can have higher or lower prices
based on the legislation regarding reimbursements.
This depends on their purchase strategy.
I know you'll ask me about the many companies that can't reach
these prices even with reimbursements.
We'll address this specifically. The second part of the question
was about households. We'll draft an exit strategy.
When we're done and when the crisis groups, which I still lead,
get to discuss it with the various actors,
we'll communicate the details of the strategy with you.
And to answer the additional question from the first part.
The prices at the wholesale markets for 2024
could be lower for the companies than they are now
when they are limited.
This is why we encourage them to lower the costs.
Companies have plans
for buying energy which they manage.
If there were a crisis in autumn or winter
and the prices would skyrocket again,
we want them to be ready,
so that the prices won’t go up
and be higher than the regulated prices and they will want our help
and the money from the budget. We want to avoid this scenario
because now, we have prices that are lower than our limited prices.
Thank you. There are no more questions. Have a nice day.
Thank you. -The state secretary at the Ministry of the Interior
will tell us why the law about foreigners needs to be changed.
There are not enough workers and we need foreign citizens.
Go ahead. -Thank you and hello.
Today, the government reviewed the Parliament's request
to decide again on the law about foreigners. We are suggesting
that the Parliament supports the amendment to the law this time.
There are many reasons for it.
The amendment brings many good solutions
that haven't been stressed enough until now
and have been overlooked. I will explain them.
One of the biggest technical changes
are many solutions in the amendment
that will relieve administrative units,
so that they will easier and faster
decide on the matters involving foreigners.
I will give you a concrete example.
One of the changes is
that the cards for the renewal of residence permits
will be sent via the post office. It looks like a technical solution,
but it will contribute to faster processes
and protect the rights of foreign citizens.
One of the novelties is that fingerprints from the process
for the first residence permit can be saved and used
for renewing the permit. They shall be stored for five years.
This shall certainly make work easier for administrative units.
The obligation to periodically check
means of subsistence shall also be abolished.
In practice, this means that administrative units shall check
means of subsistence of a foreigner when he or she shall apply
for residence permit for the first time
and when it shall be renewed.
It does also mean that in the mean time
the unit is still required to determine,
if the mandatory means according to the law
are still provided. If the unit within this period finds out
that these means are gone, it shall act according to the law.
One of the more important reasons for adoption
and revalidation of the amendment in the National Assembly
is also one that we are introducing a possibility
of faster recruitment of foreigners.
We shall impose a priority processing of foreigners
with issuing a single permit for occupations in the fields
of health care, social welfare, education
and in other areas that are a part of public interest.
We shall provide for the interests of our state.
The other such measure is,
how to facilitate the procedure to change the employer.
When a foreign worker
wants to change an employer or to be engaged by two or more employers
within the single permit for residence,
the change shall be with the amendment possible
on the basis of the consent of the employment office.
Thus, we shall take the load off the administrative units,
because in intermediate phase it won't be necessary to issue
a written decree of consent.
The administrative units shall issue a written decree
only when the Department of Social Services gives a negative consent.
Of course, there are changes that were effectively
given the most attention.
One is continuation of the free Slovenian language courses,
the most important is an upgrade of existent integration policies
with the government commitment to prepare a new strategy
on integration of foreigners that are not EU members.
Thus, we want to commit and ensure
that these amendments
shall be feasible.
At the Ministry of the Interior we have in this phase,
although the amendment has not been in force yet,
done initial activity
and we are ready to start working immediately.
A working group is being formed
which will prepare a strategy for the integration of foreigners.
One of the key proposed changes brought by the amendment
is that the condition of knowledge of the Slovenian language,
the enforcement of this condition, will be postponed by eighteen months,
because during this time we will prepare everything necessary
that this kind of condition can also come to life in practice.
We know that now the lessons and exams
are conducted by the Centre for Slovenian Language,
for which we found during the procedures or during this time
that it does not have sufficient capacities
to be able to process such a large number of candidates,
i.e. foreigners.
That is why it will take the Government eighteen months
to really implement this provision.
In six months, the amendment to the law also foresees
some kind of a transitional period,
the condition regarding the extension and temporary permit
for family members is being introduced for this time.
During this time,
after six months of the entry into force of the amendment
and up to eighteen months when the new article regarding
the knowledge of the Slovenian language will enter into force.
During this time foreigners will participate
in the programs of learning the Slovenian language
and getting to know the Slovenian society at the entry level.
This will be sufficient for the extension of the permit.
The amendment to the Aliens Act,
which will be discussed tomorrow at the Committee for Internal Affairs
in the National Assembly within the framework of reapproval...
It is the Government's opinion
that it is necessary for the amendment to be reapproved
for all the reasons I have just stated,
because the amendment really brings concrete good solutions
both for foreigners and for administrative units
that manage procedures related to foreigners,
as well as for employers. I mentioned
a priority consideration of requests from foreigners of certain categories,
and at the same time, by enforcing this amendment,
we will avoid many negative consequences
which would be brought about by the non-enforcement of this amendment.
If the amendment is not reapproved in the National Assembly,
the regulation adopted on April 27 2021 will come into force,
in which the previous government practically legislated
the mandatory passing of an exam of the Slovenian language
at a higher level,
and eliminated the subsidisation of Slovenian language courses.
As I mentioned earlier, given that there is currently no capacity,
because during these two years, the previous government
did nothing to prepare the country for the quality implementation
of such provisions as they have adopted,
the 18-month delay of implementation is more than necessary.
We will arrange all of this,
first with the preparation
of a strategy for the integration of foreigners,
and then with the implementation of these provisions in practice.
Thank you very much. Any questions? Metka Majer.
Did you discuss this with your coalition partners?
Yes, of course, we are in constant contact with the coalition partners,
we also have a short meeting tomorrow before the committee.
The matters are more or less coordinated,
we are all aware that this amendment needs to be approved
and brought to life, so to speak.
Thank you. -There are no more questions. Thank you.
This concludes today's press conference. Goodbye.