161st regular session of the Government of the Republic of Slovenia
Government approves the draft of the new Business Register Act of Slovenia
After more than two decades, the Business Register is set for a comprehensive legal, substantive and technical overhaul. This will include a revised legal framework, i.e. the Business Register of Slovenia Act and its implementing regulations, the scope and structure of data on business entities, procedures for entering data into the register, and the accessibility and public availability of data on business entities in the business register.
Established in 1997, the Business Register is a central public database of all business entities established in the Republic of Slovenia, and its significance has grown steadily over time. The proposed law will replace the current one, which has been in force since 2006.
By 31 December 2024, the register contained 245,819 entries, comprising business entities, their units and the branches of foreign companies. Between June 2008 and June 2024, the number of registered entities increased by 47.6%.
The planned reform will also streamline the registration process, making it simpler and faster. It will rely even more than before on the functionalities of the SPOT (Slovenian Business Point) information system, which supports businesses. Following the "once-only" principle, business entities will be able to submit a single application for multiple registration or deletion purposes. Depending on the type of procedure, it will be possible to submit applications for registration at one of the SPOT contact points, via a notary, or through the Agency of the Republic of Slovenia for Public Legal Records and Related Services (AJPES), or another competent registration authority. If the technical conditions are met, applicants will also be able to submit registration applications directly via SPOT.
This reform of the business register marks an important step for Slovenia in the digital transformation of its economy. A key element of this reform, which forms part of the broader Digital Slovenia 2030 strategy, is the introduction of a corporate digital identity to support the digital transformation of Slovenian businesses.
The corporate digital identity will comprise data on business entities that has been collected and processed in the business register, as well as data from business entities' annual reports available via the Public Posting of Annual Reports database (JOLP). All data will be made available to users via the AJPES online portal.
The corporate digital identity will comprise the key attributes and characteristics of business entities that are essential for legal transactions, business operations within the Republic of Slovenia and across borders, as well as in international supply chains. Accurate, structured data will enable the reliable identification of business entities within the business environment, thereby fostering trust in legal certainty and the security of legal transactions, while reducing the risk of fraud and abuse.
A government working group was established already in 2014 to prepare expert platforms for reforming the registration legislation. Currently, registration procedures for business entities are conducted in various ways on the basis of more than 40 laws and implementing regulations. The working group has called for these procedures to be simplified and harmonised. This is particularly relevant for the 22 groups of businesses that must register in both a sectoral register and the central business register under the current regulations. The group has proposed creating a single IT system for registering business entities and storing business entity data in one place: the business register.
The SPOT information system, which provides support for business entities, is currently celebrating 20 years of successful operation. In 2024 alone, it processed over 2.8 million applications. Simplifying registration procedures and creating digital corporate identities will support sustainable economic growth and efforts to increase the competitiveness of the Slovenian and European economies.
The draft's law financial impact is estimated at EUR 1,620,000, which will cover upgrades to IT systems and solutions. Funding has been allocated through the financial plans of the Ministry of the Economy, Tourism and Sport, and the Ministry of Digital Transformation. A portion of the funds will also be provided by AJPES from its own resources.
Source: Ministry of the Economy, Tourism and Sport
Briefing Slovenia's Government on the measures, projects, and activities undertaken in the recovery following the August 2023 floods and landslides
In August 2023, Slovenia was hit by widespread flooding, resulting in substantial property damage and severely affecting many individuals, businesses, and local communities.
The Government is closely monitoring the implementation of recovery measures and progress across key areas. Today's session reviewed a concise yet comprehensive update on the work carried out in these areas, as well as the effects of the measures taken on the Government's proposal to address the consequences of the largest and most severe natural disaster.
The Government adopted a decision instructing ministries and relevant agencies to take additional measures, in line with their respective mandates and adopted programmes, to accelerate all activities with the aim of completing the recovery within the designated timeframe.
Source: Government Office for Post-Flood and Landslide Reconstruction