Prime Minister Golob: "Slovenia has a wealth of knowledge and a great many highly successful companies"

The Prime Minister viewed the activities carried out at the home. He greeted the residents and underlined that care for older people, dignified ageing and security remain key Government priorities.

He then visited the Centre for Education, Rehabilitation and Training Kamnik (CIRIUS Kamnik), the central state educational and rehabilitation institution for children and young people with physical disabilities. Together with the Minister of Education, Vinko Logaj, he met with the management, staff, children and young people at the centre and their parents, and toured the premises of CIRIUS Kamnik, which were renovated during the current Government’s term of office. "In institutions such as yours, we are confronted with the fact that there are children and individuals who did not choose the health condition they live with. It is right that, as a society, we support them," the Prime Minister emphasised during his visit to CIRIUS Kamnik.

As part of the Government visit, Prime Minister Robert Golob, the Minister of Natural Resources and Spatial Planning, Jože Novak, the Head of the Office of the Government of the Republic of Slovenia for Post-Flood and Landslide Reconstruction, Boštjan Šefic, and the Mayor of the Municipality of Kamnik, Matej Slapar, viewed the flood recovery and rehabilitation works on the main water supply transmission system in Kamnik. "Solidarity is the value of which Slovenians are most proud," the Prime Minister emphasised at the opening of the restored water supply system in Kamnik. He added that, in responding to the floods, solidarity has been present in our hearts from the very first day and remains so today.

"Our experience of natural disasters has shown that we must act swiftly, while at the same time adopting a long-term approach. That is why we are here today. Should flooding of a similar magnitude occur again, the consequences would not be the same. It is this approach – how to build a more resilient society and a more resilient state – that gives me hope for the future: that today we are not merely marking the completion of rehabilitation works, but inaugurating a water supply system capable of withstanding comparable challenges in the years to come, and which therefore represents a genuine investment in future generations," said Prime Minister Golob.

The Mayor of Kamnik, Matej Slapar, stressed that the Municipality of Kamnik was among those most severely affected by the 2023 floods. He expressed his gratitude to the Civil Protection, the firefighters, the Slovenian Armed Forces, and all companies and individuals who provided assistance. "In the future, we will need to work together on measures and response efforts. Natural disasters are likely to become more frequent, and we must be prepared for this," the Mayor said, thanking the Government of the Republic of Slovenia for its assistance and support in the post-flood recovery.

Following a working lunch with representatives of the Osrednjeslovenska region’s business community, the Prime Minister delivered a statement to the media in which he highlighted that the Government will propose an extraordinary indexation of pensions. "In the coming days, the Government will propose to the Assembly of the Pension and Disability Insurance Institute (ZPIZ) an extraordinary adjustment of pensions by an additional 1% with effect from 1 March. According to assurances from the leadership of ZPIZ, the necessary funds have already been secured. I believe this additional support will be of assistance to pensioners, including in helping them to cope more easily with rising prices. At the same time, we wish to express our respect for the fact that they helped to build our society and enabled us to live better lives," he said.

The Prime Minister went on to say that the discussion with business representatives had been dynamic and had covered a wide range of issues, with the most in-depth exchange focusing on how to make the Slovenian economy even more innovative, competitive and successful internationally, so that it can generate higher added value and, consequently, higher wages for employees. "I am confident that we will continue this dialogue, also with the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia and other organisations, in order to ensure that we invest maximum effort, knowledge and resources in those companies with the greatest potential to create well-paid jobs," the Prime Minister stated.

He added that pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies have recently been among those recognising Slovenia as a destination where high added value can be generated. "Together with the business community, we want to focus on companies that generate high added value. Only in this way – by supporting companies that reward their employees with high wages – will we be able to ensure that we can all enjoy a better standard of living," the Prime Minister emphasised.

At the meeting with business representatives, the discussion also covered the Employee Participation in Profit Sharing Act. "This Act rewards top-performing and most innovative staff through lower taxation," the Prime Minister explained.

They also discussed an additional aid scheme for energy-intensive sectors, such as the chemical and paper industries, which are facing high energy prices, as well as ways to tighten financial discipline within the economy. "Slovenia has a wealth of knowledge and a great many highly successful companies. Through continued dialogue and more joint initiatives, we will succeed in unlocking the potential of these companies in the years ahead," concluded the Prime Minister.

The Prime Minister then visited Juicy Marbles, a Slovenian food-tech start-up based in Domžale, accompanied by Matevž Frangež, State Secretary at the Ministry of the Economy, Tourism and Sport. By combining science, gastronomy and entrepreneurship, the company has become one of the more recognisable Slovenian global start-up success stories.

The Prime Minister concluded the Government’s visit to the Osrednjeslovenska region with a tour of the rehabilitation works on the bridge over the Kamniška Bistrica in Vir near Domžale.