WEBVTT

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Hello. Here to present the outcome
of today's government meeting

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is Deputy Prime Minister
Matej Arčon. -Thank you and hello.

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During the closed part
of the session at the beginning,

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the government discussed
the proposed ownership changes

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in the Ljubljana Stock Exchange,
which the Croatian state agency

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Fina wants to take over.
The debate was marked

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by a wish to protect Slovenia's
national interests

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and the stockholders.
This part of the debate

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was classified, but the government
ultimately declassified

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the conclusions, which I'm now
sharing with you.

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First of all, Fina, as a qualified
future shareholder

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in the Ljubljana Stock Exchange,
doesn't qualify, in the view

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of the government, as a reputable
party according

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to Article 73 of the Banking Act.
Secondly, the government has decided

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to amend the Decree on Critical
Infrastructure in Slovenia

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and Its Operators by adding
the Ljubljana Stock Exchange

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as an operator.

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Thirdly, any takeover of a subject
operating critical infrastructure

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by a foreign country or legal entity
with a majority or direct stake

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of a foreign country
requires the approval

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of the Slovenian government.

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These decisions follow
the recommendations

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of the National Assembly's
Finance Committee.

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The decisions have been sent
the Securities Market Agency,

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which is now analyzing this matter.

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The second topic today
is the government's approval

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of the Act on RTV Slovenia.

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It redefines public service
to include the production of music

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and sets the funding amount
for minority programming

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and music production
from the national budget.

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This government was the first
to increase the funding

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of minority programming.
These funds will now be provided

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in detail by the amendment
that will be taken up

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by the National Assembly.
The national budget will also

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be used to partly fund
music production,

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namely the RTV Slovenia
Symphonic Orchestra.

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Culture Minister Asta Vrečko
will tell you more about this

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during her statement
at the ministry.

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Thank you.
Questions from the media.

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STA?

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Lara Draškovič, STA.
You mentioned that you sent

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your decisions about
the stock exchange

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to the Securities Agency,
which is responsible

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for the approval of the deal.
What do your decisions

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mean for the agency's approval?
-The government's decision

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is clear. We want to protect
the Slovenian government's interest

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and classify the Ljubljana Stock
Exchange as critical infrastructure.

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This will define it as an entity
vital for the government

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and the state. -Do you expect
the agency to abide

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by the government's decision?
-We did our part

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and sent a very clear
and reasonable message

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to the agency.

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Florjan Zupan, TV Slovenia.

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Were you unanimous
in your decision?

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Was the finance minister opposed
or were you unanimous?

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That item was classified.
We've only declassified

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our conclusions so we could
send them to the agency.

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Otherwise, all three coalition
parties were unanimous

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in their decision.

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At the last moment,
the agency's expert committees

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stated that there are no reasons
for blocking the takeover.

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I'll ask again: Do you expect
the agency

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to follow your conclusions,
or will it decide the case

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on its merit and rule
in favor of the takeover?

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The agency was founded
by the National Assembly.

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The relevant committee
issued a recommendation

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to the government,
which in turn decided

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to protect the Ljubljana
Stock Exchange

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and define it as critical
infrastructure.

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It's sending a clear message
to the agency.

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What the agency decides
today is up to them,

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not the government.

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Kaja Kobetič, POP TV.

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Hello, on another topic,
the Foreign Minister has stated

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that Slovenia is willing
to take part

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in the training of Palestinian
police officers.

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Is this in the preparatory
phase or do you have

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any specifics?

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We didn't discuss that today,
so I'll ask you

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to direct your question
to the minister

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because I don't know
the details.

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On a related note, what
is you response

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to Janez Janša's claims
that the government is sending

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more than €1 million
of taxpayers'' money

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to Palestinian bureaucracy
when people in Slovenia

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are collecting funds
for sick children?

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Since the beginning,
this government has shown

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its commitment to welfare
and the disadvantaged.

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We have that responsibility
at home,

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but we also have a role to play
in helping the needy abroad,

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as do other countries.

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Also, tradesmen
and business owners

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have come up with a proposal
regarding the mandatory

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Christmas bonus in the form
of interest-free loans.

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The Finance Minister has apparently
rejected the idea.

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Did you discuss that
and why isn't that idea

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acceptable to the state?
-We didn't discuss that

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at today's meeting
or at the coalition level.

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I regret that they rejected
negotiations

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in advance when they had
significant maneuvering space

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regarding the introduction
of the Christmas bonus.

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They had the time
and the opportunities

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to discuss such proposals.

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But since they were opposed
to the mandatory Christmas bonus

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in advance, it's difficult
to look at other options today.

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Back then, we had
enough time

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and common sense to propose

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a range between the lowest
and the highest Christmas bonus,

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so those unable to pay
by the end of the year

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could pay by the end
of March 2026.

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We had both the desire
and the will

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to talk about that,
but there was neither the desire

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nor the will to talk
from the opposing side.

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They dug their heels in
about opposing

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the mandatory Christmas bonus,
and there was no more

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maneuvering space.
-Thank you very much.

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Thank you.

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We're now joined by the Minister
of the Economy, Tourism, and Sports

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Matjaž Han, who will introduce
an important amendment

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to the Sports Act.

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Hello and thank you for giving
me an opportunity to introduce

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what I consider vital
sports-related legislation

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in this term. It's an amendment
that people working in sports

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and athletes have been waiting for
a long time.

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I'll start out by saying that
Slovenia is a sports superpower.

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According to the latest data,
we're number three in the world.

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Our athletes have been winning
Olympic medals

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and world and European
championship titles.

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They're contributing
to the reputation

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of our country and,
most importantly,

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connecting our nation.

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If we want this
to continue at the same pace,

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we need to take care
of the athletes,

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first at the start of their careers,

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then at their professional peak
and, significantly,

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after their retirement from sports.

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That's why we have come up
with a proposal

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drafted for the first time
in close cooperation

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with athletes, coaches,
sports associations,

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the Slovenian Olympic Committee,
the Finance Ministry,

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and the Labor Ministry.
I thank them all.

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The bill has been broadly
coordinated

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and is financially sustainable.
It solves specific problems.

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First of all, athletes
will receive a bonus

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to their pension
for their past work.

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This includes
top athletes of the past.

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As you know, many athletes
have devoted their lives

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to competing for our homeland
and have very low pensions.

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I don't think that's fair,
so the amendment

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introduces a bonus
to their pension

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up to a difference of €1100
or a maximum of €300.

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I trust that this will enable
top athletes

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to have better senior years.
I consider this a sign of respect.

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Secondly, we'll set up
the National Career Center

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for Athletes as a part
of the Olympic Committee.

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The Center will provide assistance
with education, mentorship,

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career advising,
and job placement.

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Athletes have been waiting
for this for a very long time.

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I feel this will serve
as a good basis

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for athletes to start
their second careers.

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Third, we'll provide
monetary compensation

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for further education
after the end of their careers.

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This introduces compensation
for athletes

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at the end of their careers
and makes the period

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of their education
and training easier,

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because some athletes
don't have their own income.

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Fourth, you know we
have a bunch

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of long-term coaches
who have no sports-oriented

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high school education, but they have
20 or 30 years of coaching

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experience and would have
lost their license

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under the old law.
That would have caused

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untold damage to sports
in Slovenia.

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We addressed that as well.

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We're preserving the skills,
the experience and, most of all,

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the mentorship of people
who forged entire

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generations of athletes.

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This bill is bringing back security,
stability, and respect

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to our athletes. It's comprehensive,
development-oriented,

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and strengthens the foundations
of sports in Slovenia.

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Thank you.
-Thank you. Any questions?

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Kaja Kobetič?

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Minister, my question is also
about the Christmas bonus.

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The proposal of tradesmen
and business owners

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calls for interest-free loans.
As the Economy Minister,

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do you support it?
-I spent recent months

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at various meetings of tradesmen
and business owners,

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where we discussed various problems
related to the competitiveness

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of the Slovenian economy
and problems in Europe.

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The proposal to pay out
the Christmas bonus

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this year without postponing it
to next year

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included the suggestion that
the Slovenian Enterprise Fund

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could issue micro-credits
to companies.

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We didn't reject that out of hand.

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We're exploring whether
the legislation allows that.

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If it's possible, I don't see
why it couldn't be possible

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for them to get loans
so they could

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pay for the Christmas
bonuses in advance

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and then repay the loans.
-Did you discuss this

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with the Finance Minister,
given that the tradesmen

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was apparently rejected
by Minister Boštjančič?

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I'm not familiar with that.
I receive quite a few proposals

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every day. The ones that
make sense and could help

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the state, which has helped
businesses greatly in this period,

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need to be analyzed,
and if they have a sound

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legal basis, there's no reason
to reject them.

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Otherwise, some will need to turn
to commercial banks.

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Do you think there will be
a willingness to listen here?

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We know you sometimes have
disagreements in such cases

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with the Finance Minister...
-As the Economy Minister,

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my perspective is sometimes narrow,
but we all live in Slovenia,

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and I feel that the Christmas bonus
is a good thing.

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On December 18, many people
will receive this bonuses,

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which will liven things up
and make the holidays

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more pleasant for many.

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The VAT will be paid again,
restaurants and stores

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could see more business, and some
may be able to pay their bills.

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As a Social Democrat, I support
this wholeheartedly.

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I trust that everything
will proceed relatively smoothly.

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As part of this, will you
recommend tax breaks

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for sole proprietors?
-We have these proposals

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on the table and are meeting
with the Chamber of Craft

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next week to discuss
various matters.

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We'll analyze it,
but realistically speaking,

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I don't see how we could,
at this moment

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before the New Year and because
of parliamentary procedure,

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approve any tax legislation.
That's the realistic view.

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Any other questions?
Florjan Zupan.

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Do you also view the decision
about the Ljubljana Stock Exchange

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as being in the national interest
given past politicians'

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actions regarding Slovenian
business failures such as Adria,

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Mercator, and Splošna Plovba.
Should we understand

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preventing the takeover
to be in the national interest?

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I believe this is the only
decision that makes sense

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and I fully support it,
as does our party.

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Another question about the troubled
Croatian company Mercator.

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For a while, you argued
that it would be in the national

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interest for the state to take over
half of Mercator.

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Is that still in play?
-We politicians sometimes

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have ideas or wishes.

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This problem doesn't just affect
Mercator, but also Tuš.

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Things that happened in the past,
where we might have played a part,

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can no longer be revived,
but we can learn from the mistakes

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we made, so we don't repeat them.

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Today's three decisions
were made with that in mind.

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Thank you.
This concludes our event.