182nd Regular Session of the Government of the Republic of Slovenia
The Government adopted the draft Act on Salaries and Remuneration of Public Employees and Officials Related to Work Abroad. The adoption of this act, which comprehensively regulates salaries and other remuneration for employees posted to work abroad, is necessary to ensure an appropriate, transparent and legally predictable system that reflects the specific features of their working position. The Act on Common Foundations of the Public Sector Pay System (ZSTSPJS), which implemented a comprehensive reform of public sector salaries for employees in the Republic of Slovenia, determined that the salaries, reimbursement of expenses and other remuneration of public employees posted to work abroad are to be regulated by a special act. After more than 20 years, the draft act therefore comprehensively regulates the rights and obligations of public employees posted abroad, as these have so far been governed only by subordinate legislation. The objective of the new act is a systemic reform of salaries and other remuneration for all public employees and officials posted to work abroad. All components of salaries and other remuneration are laid down in a single act, i.e. jointly for all public employees and officials posted to work abroad. Any specificities or exceptions for individual groups of posted persons are regulated in a special chapter of this act. Posted persons are entitled exclusively to the remuneration determined in this act.
Today, the Government approved the draft amendment to the Act on the First Pension Fund of the Republic of Slovenia and the Transformation of Authorised Investment Companies. The draft enables early payment of the redemption value of the policy and introduces the possibility of a one-off payment of the redemption value of an annuity. The First Pension Fund (PPS) was established by the Act on the First Pension Fund of the Republic of Slovenia and the Transformation of Authorised Investment Companies. Under that act, shareholders of authorised investment companies (PID) who still had unused certificates could retain them in PID shares or exchange them for pension vouchers, which were later automatically converted into a PPS insurance policy. Since 2003, the PPS has been a closed mutual pension fund into which additional contributions are not possible. The PPS consists of two parts: a savings part and a coverage part. The savings part contains the funds of all savers who have not yet reached the age of 60 and are not yet entitled to annuity payments. The coverage fund contains the funds of savers who are receiving a pension annuity. The PPS coverage fund was formed in July 2004 and is intended exclusively to cover liabilities arising from pension annuity payments. Under the currently applicable rules, the PPS supplementary pension insurance policy is an insurance policy in which the member bears the investment risk above the 1% guaranteed return, which is guaranteed by Modra zavarovalnica. The insurance policy is non-transferable and cannot be pledged. The member has no right to request payment of the redemption value of the policy. The amendment approved by the Government, however, enables early payment of the redemption value of the policy. The draft allows insured persons to request payment of the redemption value of their supplementary PPS pension insurance policy before reaching the age of 60. For all recipients of monthly pension annuities it also introduces the option of submitting a request for a one-off payment of the redemption value of the annuity. This means that, regardless of the amount of their assets, all beneficiaries may request a one-off payment. In this way, the limitation in the current arrangement is removed, since it allowed this option only to those whose assets were below a certain threshold. At the end of February 2025, the net asset value attributable to PPS supplementary pension insurance policies amounted to EUR 10.7 million. The number of members and the volume of assets in the PPS are decreasing due to regular terminations (exercise of the right to a pension annuity) and extraordinary terminations (death of members before acquiring the right to a pension annuity). In 2024, the PPS had 12,061 members.
On the basis of the Act on Claiming Partial Reimbursement of Wage Compensation for Reduced Working Hours, the Government adopted a Decision on claiming partial reimbursement of wage compensation for the period from 5 December 2025 to 5 March 2026. The Act on Claiming Partial Reimbursement of Wage Compensation for Reduced Working Hours, aimed at preserving jobs due to a temporary inability of the employer to provide work, allows the employer to order work with reduced working hours while partially placing the employee on temporary waiting for work, provided the employee has an employment contract for full-time work, in such a way that the employer ensures at least half-time work for the employee. In accordance with the regulation determining the Standard Classification of Activities, the Government, by decision, identified the activity sections in which temporary circumstances have arisen that negatively affect the volume of employers’ business operations and thus their temporary inability to provide a sufficient volume of work to employees, the events that gave rise to these circumstances, and the period during which the employer may order reduced working hours and claim partial reimbursement of wage compensation. The period during which the employer may order reduced working hours and claim partial reimbursement lasts from 5 December 2025 to 5 March 2026. Based on the analysis and assessment carried out, the Government will examine the possibility of re-adopting the decision on claiming partial reimbursement after the expiry of this period.
By decree, it adopted the Strategy for the Development of Non-Governmental Organisations until 2030, which in substance represents a continuation of the Strategy for the Development of Non-Governmental Organisations and Volunteering until 2023, and is the first stand-alone strategy in the field of the development of non-governmental organisations (until now, there was a joint strategy for both areas – volunteering and non-governmental organisations). Non-governmental organisations in the Republic of Slovenia play a key role in providing social, cultural, environmental, educational, health, sports, tourism and other services. Through the implementation of diverse programmes and projects, they make an important contribution to social well-being. They often fill gaps that the public sector cannot address effectively and act as strong advocates of human rights and fundamental democratic values.
It issued the Decree on the Strategy for the Development of Volunteering until 2030, which in substance represents a continuation of the Strategy for the Development of Non-Governmental Organisations and Volunteering until 2023, and is the first stand-alone strategy in the field of the development of volunteering (until now, there was a joint strategy for both areas – volunteering and non-governmental organisations). Volunteering represents one of the core values of modern society, as it makes an important contribution to strengthening social cohesion and solidarity, promotes active citizenship, and supports the sustainable development of communities. In the Republic of Slovenia, volunteering has a long and rich tradition and for many years has had a significant impact on numerous areas of social life. The Slovenian Development Strategy 2030 also recognises the importance of volunteering as one of the essential elements for achieving a decent life for all. In this context, the strategy highlights two main aspects: volunteering as an independent and important social value, and the role of volunteering and volunteer organisations in responding effectively to current social challenges such as loneliness, growing mental-health issues, population ageing, armed conflicts, climate change and natural disasters.
In the Development Programme Plan 2025–2028, the Government also included several projects and/or investment incentives for the companies Revoz, Lek and Paloma.