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A schedule of all the main events involving Slovenia this week can be found here
This summary is provided by the STA:
PM, FinMin say 2020, 2021 budgets with surplus despite slowdown
LJUBLJANA - Prime Minister Marjan Šarec and Finance Minister Andrej Bertoncelj presented the 2020 and 2021 draft budgets in parliament, noting that, despite the expected slowdown of economic growth, the budgets would see a surplus, and that more money would be available than earlier. Healthcare, science, economy and security are priorities. The budgets feature the highest expenditure to date: for 2020 it is set at EUR 10.35 billion and for 2021 at EUR 10.45 billion. A government budget surplus of roughly 1% of GDP is planned for both years. The National Assembly is expected to vote on both budgets at the end of November.
Adria Airways staff start getting termination notices
BRNIK - The official receiver of Adria Airways started serving notices of job termination to the airline's employees, while pilots and cabin staff are reported to be interviewed with potential new employers. Citing unofficial sources, the newspaper Finance reports that the Polish flag carrier LOT has conducted job interviews with Adria pilots, while cabin staff have received offers for jobs from Wizz Air, the Hungarian low-cost carrier. Receivership was started at Adria last week the request of the management of the German-owned carrier due to insolvency after the government declined its calls for aid. Unofficially, the company ran up EUR 90 million in debt.
BAMC inquiry hears first witnesses
LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary inquiry into the operations the Bank Asset Management Company (BAMC) kicked off its work today, quizzing several key persons in charge of critical developments in 2013, when the country's bad bank was incorporated. Appointed in March, the commission started with questions about the transfers of bad claims to BAMC. The first witness was former Finance Ministry state secretary Mitja Mavko, who went on to serve as a non-executive director at BAMC between January 2014 and March 2015, with the hearing revolving around what seems to be a contentious selection of the auditor.
Quality employment in focus of World Day for Decent Work
LJUBLJANA - Slovenian trade unions urge employers to provide for decent work and reflect on the workers' contribution to economic growth and prosperity as the World Day for Decent Work is observed around the globe. The ZSSS confederation also highlights the increasingly blurred line between work and spare time, especially when digital technologies enable employers to reach workers at any time. The ZSSS thus promotes a good work-life balance, repeating its demand for eight hours of work, eight hours of spare time and eight hours of rest. In a statement issued on the occasion, the Movement for Decent Work and Welfare State highlighted young workers in precarious jobs, who earn less than half of their colleagues working on permanent contracts.
Employer club puzzled by opposition to proposed tax tweaks
LJUBLJANA - An association of employers has expressed surprise with the opposition to the latest proposed tax changes in part of the public, saying that some stakeholders apparently did not want to support changes which would bring higher net wages for employees. The Slovenian Business Club said that as "wages in Slovenia are among the most taxed in the EU", it is unbelievable to see opposition to the changes bringing increased general tax credit and changes to the income tax brackets. In the six years of economic growth, politicians have provided for significantly higher net wages to all social groups, while providing employees in the real sector only with very modest tax changes a few years ago, it added.
DeSUS vice-president Gantar steps down, criticises Erjavec
LJUBLJANA - Former Health Minister Tomaž Gantar stepped down as vice-president of the coalition Pensioners' Party (DeSUS) in September. In today's statement for the STA, Gantar was critical of the way Karl Erjavec is leading the party, saying his leadership style was less and less democratic. Gantar, who has been a prominent member of DeSUS for years, is returning to his medical profession. DeSUS, which has been on a downward trajectory for some time, will hold an extraordinary election congress in January. Gantar, who remains a member of the party, will not run for any post at the congress.
NGO wants Slovenia to serve as role model for whistleblower protection
LJUBLJANA - Transparency International (TI) Slovenia called on the government on Monday to implement a directive on whistleblower protection, confirmed today by EU countries, by adopting an ambitious law which would position Slovenia at the front line of such protection efforts worldwide. The NGO urged the government to ensure that the new law would fully protect whistleblowers when they report any alleged illegal activities or risks to the public interest as well as to consider setting up an institution which would be in charge of enforcing such legislation.
Neda Rusjan Bric wins Mira award for women authors
LJUBLJANA - The women's section of Slovenian PEN has honoured Neda Rusjan Bric with this year's Mira Prize, an award it introduced in 2013 to honour outstanding women authors. An actress by profession, Rusjan Bric, 57, is an author who has directed a number of multimedia productions on the basis of her own texts. The jury said that in her theatrical pieces or films, she revives less known or overlooked figures and social phenomena from her Primorska region, making them part of national herit. She received the accolade at a ceremony at Cankarjkev Dom in Ljubljana, which was also dedicated to writer Luiza Pesjak (1828-1898).
Slovenian boxer wins five world titles
LJUBLJANA- Slovenian boxer Ema Kozin won five world titles on Sunday, having out-boxed Swedish Maria Lindberg at Stožice Arena in Ljubljana and defended her World Boxing Federation (WBF) Women's World Champion title of the Super Middleweight class. The 20-year-old, nicknamed The Princess, won five world champion titles yesterday - apart from the WBF one, also the titles of the Women's International Boxing Federation, the Women's International Boxing Association, the Global Boxing Union and the International Boxing Association in the Super Middleweight division.
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