UKOM Director Petra Bezjak Cirman signs contract with Slovenian Press Agency for 2026

18. 12. 2025

Government Communication Office

On 17 December this year, the Government of the Republic of Slovenia, as the founder and sole shareholder of the company Slovenska tiskovna agencija, d. o. o. (Slovenian Press Agency), concluded a contract for the provision of public service by the Slovenian Press Agency (STA). The contract was signed at the premises of the Government Communication Office (UKOM) by the Office's Director Petra Bezjak Cirman, who was authorised to sign and implement the contract under the authority of the Government, and the STA Director Mojca Prelesnik.

Two representatives of institutions are sitting at a table and signing documents in blue folders; a stamp is visible on the table, and in the background there is a glass wall. — Petra Bezjak Cirman and Mojca Prelesnik. | Author Bor Slana/STA

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The value of the annual Contract for 2026 is EUR 3,403,379, and is almost EUR 560,000 or 19.6 percent higher than this year's. This is the amount adopted by the STA supervisors in the 2026 business plan. The increase in funding will allow the STA to invest in the modernisation of equipment and working resources, in computerisation and information security, and to align salaries with the Collective Agreement for Cultural Activities in Slovenia.

In accordance with the Slovenian Press Agency Act, the STA provides a public service of continuous, comprehensive, accurate and objective coverage of events in Slovenia and around the world to meet the needs of both the domestic and foreign public. It is the duty of the Government of the Republic of Slovenia, which exercises the company member’s rights on behalf of the Republic of Slovenia, to ensure the STA's institutional autonomy, editorial independence and adequate funding for the comprehensive and seamless provision of its public service, based on the STA's annual business plan, which the Government is fully implementing with the Contract concluded today.

As provided in paragraph one of Article 20 of the Slovenian Press Agency Act, the STA is also funded by allocations from the state budget. These funds are provided on the basis of an annual Contract between the STA and its founder. As in the current year, the monthly payments in the next year will not be tied to the counting of news items. Instead, the Contract provides for twelve equal monthly payments of EUR 283,614.91 each.