NEWS

Prime Minister’s press conference

At today’s 71st regular session, the Slovenian Government, alongside other resolutions, adopted the text of the Health Services Act, the draft Act on the Provision of Funds for the Investment into Public Railway Infrastructure and Reports on the implementation of the Partially Subsidizing Full-Time Work Act and the implementation of the Partial Reimbursement of Payment Compensation Act. The Slovenian Prime Minister, Borut Pahor, and the responsible ministers first outlined the major resolutions, and Mr Pahor then answered a number of topical questions.

   

(Foto: Tamino Petelinšek/STA)

    

At today’s session the Government adopted the draft Act on the Provision of Funds for the Investment into Public Railway Infrastructure. The provisions of the Act facilitate the introduction of conditions for maximum transfer of freight transport from road to rail by way of public railway infrastructure modernisation, which will consequently also reduce greenhouse gas emissions.  The basic objective of this Act is to determine resources for raising funds earmarked for investments and the maintenance of public railway infrastructure for the time period from 2010 to 2023.

   

The ministers today also adopted the draft Health Services Act, the objective of which is to provide conditions for the citizens of the Republic of Slovenia to be able to implement their basic human right to health, irrespective of their social status and their place of residence.  As part of the health reform, this Act will be followed by the adoption of the Health Care and Health Insurance Act and relevant implementing regulations.

   

The Government today also adopted the Report on the implementation of the Partially Subsidizing Full-Time Work Act, the purpose of which is to alleviate the impact of the global economic crisis and maintain jobs, as well as the Report on the Implementation of the Partial Reimbursement of Payment Compensation Act governing partial refund of wage compensation paid to employees employed by employers who temporarily cannot guarantee work.

     

At the press conference, Prime Minister Pahor said that he would meet his Croatian counterpart, Jadranka Kosor, and the Serbian President, Boris Tadić, in Ptuj. It will be an informal meeting aimed at the approximation of respective views in the light of the upcoming Western Balkans Conference to be organised by Slovenia and Croatia at Brdo pri Kranju on 20 March 2010. At tomorrow’s meeting, special attention will be devoted to enhanced economic cooperation between the three countries and the exchange of views on the measures to overcome the economic crisis.

   

Prime Minister Pahor also took questions from journalists related to the Slovenian Minister of Health. He said that at yesterday's meeting he and Minister Miklavčič had agreed that the minister would submit his resignation as soon as they together find his successor.  "I expect the new minister to be as determined and competent as Minister Miklavčič and to be fully devoted to the work relating to health reform management." The Slovenian Prime Minister wished Minister Miklavčič an early recovery and emphasized that he understands his reasons for his resignation, which are health-related. He, however, needs an expert in this area who could immediately enter the "high-speed train of changes being introduced by the Government in this important sub-system and who would be in perfect shape in order to work at full speed like Minister Miklavčič did."