NEWS
Prime Minister's press conference following the Government’s 97th regular session
At today's 97th regular session, the Slovenian Government adopted a draft Act amending the Pension and Disability Insurance Act and a draft Agreement between the Ministry of Health and FIDES – the Trade Union of Medical Doctors and Dentists. The responsible ministers presented the adopted resolutions, and Mr Pahor then answered a number of topical questions.
The Slovenian Government adopted a draft Act amending the Pension and Disability Insurance Act, which adjusts the current system of pension and disability insurance to the adverse demographic, economic and public finance conditions. The aforementioned draft proposal of the new legislation is based on two fundamental objectives, i.e. the provision of a decent pension and the financial sustainability of the pension system. One needs to be aware/we must be aware of the fact that the preservation of the existing pension system would, due to its financial unsustainability, inevitably lead to the reduction of the scope of rights of the insured persons, something unacceptable in terms of the principle of a social state, and to an increase of contributions imposed on employers affecting the competitiveness of the Slovenian corporate sector. The proposed amendments to the new pension legislation are thus necessary in order to stop the drop in pensions of retired people and, moreover, to secure retirement income for future generations. The new pension legislation, among other things, also envisages a gradual increase in the retirement age for men and women to 65 years and a 15-year insurance period until 2021 and, respectively, until 2026, i. e. by six months per year. The platform for the new system will be the conditions applicable to retirement according to the existing pension system in 2011. In accordance with the increase in the retirement age there will also be a gradual increase in the minimum requirements for retirement until 2014 or 2016, when it will be possible to apply for an early retirement (with maluses) at 60 years of age, subject to a 40-year retirement period for men and a 38-year retirement period for women.
Furthermore, the ministerial corps took note of and adopted the/an Agreement between the Ministry of Health and FIDES – the Trade Union of Medical Doctors and Dentists of Slovenia. At the same time, the Government adopted a decision that the implementing regulation to be drafted by the Ministry of Health must consider public finance sustainability. The agreement envisages the provision of a smooth functioning of the regular programme of the health care service and services within the 24-hour health care.
The agreement also provides for the preparation of rules regulating the organisation of uninterrupted health care in Slovenia. Moreover, it will lay down several possibilities of providing a round-the-clock health care (standby duty, shift work, several forms of standby). The Health Council and the Slovenian Association of Health Institutes will also take part in the network design.
At the press conference following the regular Government’s session, Prime Minister Pahor announced that after the adoption of the pension reform, the Government will be engaged in the preparation of the health reform. The latter is due to be drafted by the Ministry of Health by the end of this year, while members of the National Assembly are likely to decide on it in spring 2011. The Minister of Health is expected to fully focus on the preparation of both framework acts of the new reform. "We have agreed that he should reach a reasonable agreement with physicians, and that we settle this issue in a manner, which will secure the rights of patients and permit no compromises to the benefit of FIDES regarding their expectations, which might affect public finances", said Prime Minister Pahor and added that the Minister and his team have been assigned the task of drafting both laws by the end of this year. "Then, the time will come for the health reform," pointed out Mr Pahor.
Furthermore, the Slovenian Prime Minister touched upon the issue of creating a logistics holding company. In his view, the idea of placing the entire transport sector in the European area to fight for a competitive survival is quite ambitious. The opponents of this idea will have to offer an alternative solution. He said that after Mondays' conference on the placement of the Slovenian transport logistics in the European area, he does not yet expect a final decision on the integration of Slovenian Railways, the Port of Koper and the company Intereuropa. "I only hope that the majority of arguments will win the day one way or the other," said the Prime Minister who believes that the conference participants will be in favour of the creation of a logistics holding company. He supports the idea of creating a logistics holding company designed by Hartmut Mehdorn and his associates. He is also acquainted with the objections and doubts of the trade unions and the management boards of the Port of Koper, Intereuropa and others. "The main concern is that the state might use the revenues of the aforementioned companies to cover the losses of the Slovenian Railways. This will not be the case, because on the long run, it would mean a negative synergy. What Mehdorn suggests is to achieve a positive synergy," added The Prime Minister. "For the time being, the idea of a holding company including the Port of Koper, Intereuropa and the Slovenian Railways and perhaps some other transport enterprises is the only possibility for the said companies to survive an extremely strong competition, which is already, and still waiting for them in Europe," emphasised Prime Minister Pahor.