WEBVTT 00:00:00.609 --> 00:00:02.859 A warm greeting to you all. 00:00:03.738 --> 00:00:07.600 Today marks the first constituent meeting 00:00:07.684 --> 00:00:10.483 of the Strategic Council for the Economy. 00:00:10.566 --> 00:00:13.397 Improving the economic environment 00:00:13.899 --> 00:00:17.316 is one of the government's key priorities. 00:00:17.640 --> 00:00:21.557 Everything else depends on how much we generate. 00:00:21.999 --> 00:00:26.173 Increasing the competitiveness of the Slovenian economy 00:00:26.256 --> 00:00:28.422 is in everyone's interest. 00:00:29.308 --> 00:00:34.353 It determines how much money there is for wages, for pensions, 00:00:34.436 --> 00:00:37.760 and for everything else we need as a society. 00:00:37.843 --> 00:00:41.190 I'm glad that this Strategic Council 00:00:41.752 --> 00:00:46.111 brings together so many practitioners and theorists 00:00:46.571 --> 00:00:48.375 from the field of economics. 00:00:48.458 --> 00:00:53.196 The government expects advice from them 00:00:53.301 --> 00:00:56.680 that will not only be sound, 00:00:56.764 --> 00:01:01.561 but also feasible to implement in the Slovenian context. 00:01:02.012 --> 00:01:05.304 I would like to thank everyone who has agreed to take part. 00:01:05.387 --> 00:01:09.172 In the future, we'll probably expand the council's remit slightly 00:01:09.255 --> 00:01:12.296 so that it covers everything 00:01:12.380 --> 00:01:16.296 that the economy actually covers in real life. 00:01:17.005 --> 00:01:19.635 I would also like to thank Mr. Lotrič, 00:01:19.718 --> 00:01:24.896 who has practical experience in the economy, 00:01:25.017 --> 00:01:27.854 for taking on the leadership of this council, 00:01:27.937 --> 00:01:30.225 and I wish him every success in his work. 00:01:30.308 --> 00:01:32.974 A question, Mr. Janša. -Go ahead. 00:01:34.530 --> 00:01:38.584 I wish you all a good day. The Strategic Council for the Economy 00:01:38.667 --> 00:01:42.136 is an advisory body to the Prime Minister. 00:01:42.636 --> 00:01:44.556 Our aim and objective is 00:01:44.639 --> 00:01:48.996 to shape economic policy 00:01:49.308 --> 00:01:53.683 so that our proposals lead to practical solutions 00:01:53.880 --> 00:01:57.558 for both employees and businesses. 00:01:58.527 --> 00:02:01.787 Our members come from the trades, the business sector, 00:02:01.870 --> 00:02:04.916 small and medium-sized enterprises and the wider economy. 00:02:04.999 --> 00:02:07.435 Amongst us are international companies, 00:02:07.518 --> 00:02:12.402 exporters and service providers both at home and abroad, 00:02:12.899 --> 00:02:18.108 representing practically the entire Slovenian economy. 00:02:19.055 --> 00:02:23.330 Given the strength of our Strategic Council, 00:02:23.414 --> 00:02:27.989 we have decided to form five focus groups, 00:02:28.371 --> 00:02:31.893 starting with the group on competitiveness, 00:02:32.433 --> 00:02:36.383 followed by taxation, labour legislation, 00:02:36.483 --> 00:02:40.277 reducing bureaucracy and digitalisation. 00:02:40.873 --> 00:02:44.419 To ensure we are more effective, we'll organise these 00:02:44.502 --> 00:02:49.087 into focus groups, each comprising up to fifteen individuals 00:02:49.170 --> 00:02:52.060 who are experts in their respective fields. 00:02:52.143 --> 00:02:58.046 I can already announce that, over the past two months, 00:02:58.368 --> 00:03:02.187 we have prepared 17 proposals for changes, 00:03:02.318 --> 00:03:08.899 covering taxation, labour legislation and reducing bureaucracy, 00:03:09.193 --> 00:03:14.443 which we'll send to our members at the end of today's meeting. 00:03:14.526 --> 00:03:18.790 I can therefore already announce the next meeting in September, 00:03:18.873 --> 00:03:21.834 where we'll discuss these practical examples, 00:03:21.917 --> 00:03:27.108 since the Expert Strategic Council is not intended for a broad debate, 00:03:27.191 --> 00:03:31.826 but rather for putting forward proposals 00:03:31.910 --> 00:03:36.060 that are feasible for Slovenia right now. 00:03:36.398 --> 00:03:39.210 I must emphasise once again 00:03:39.683 --> 00:03:43.259 that they will strive to ensure that work pays, 00:03:43.342 --> 00:03:45.162 that people will be satisfied 00:03:45.245 --> 00:03:48.015 when they receive payment for the work they've done, 00:03:48.098 --> 00:03:51.181 and that the state will continue to be 00:03:51.451 --> 00:03:53.874 a welfare state in all areas, 00:03:53.958 --> 00:03:59.502 from which people expect and receive full support, 00:03:59.586 --> 00:04:01.490 and this will remain the case. 00:04:01.573 --> 00:04:03.491 Thank you very much. -A question. 00:04:03.574 --> 00:04:06.473 Part of the economy or business. 00:04:06.557 --> 00:04:11.349 Mr. Mijič, an MP, transferred his debt-ridden company to Mr. Snežič, 00:04:11.432 --> 00:04:15.624 or handed it over and renamed it Klukec Ltd., if I'm not mistaken. 00:04:15.707 --> 00:04:19.249 Do you consider such practices on the part of MPs to be appropriate? 00:04:19.332 --> 00:04:23.858 Just as we have the police to manage traffic on motorways, 00:04:23.941 --> 00:04:26.282 if anyone breaks the law, 00:04:26.479 --> 00:04:30.161 they must be identified and dealt with appropriately. 00:04:30.244 --> 00:04:32.204 Thank you very much. -Thank you.