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Mit - UVK_Sinfo_2008_08_št.12 - Index

between workers and development of companies. The priority tasks
of the ministry in the past term included creating an environment
conducive to greater competitiveness, Vizjak said, adding that
funds from the state budget as well as from European structural
funds were used for this purpose. According to the minister, 80%
to 90% of companies have met the goals set in terms of creating
new jobs and securing higher growth. The minister moreover
highlighted changes in the field of company takeovers, workers'
participation in profit, the reimbursements for investments into the
telecommunication network, the reorganisation of the electricity
market, more competition among telecommunication providers,
development incentives for SMEs, and enhanced investment in
tourist infrastructure.
As regards the ministry's achievements during Slovenia's EU
presidency, Vizjak pointed to the adoption of legislative acts related
to the free flow of goods, which form the so-called goods package,
and to the agreement on the consumer credit contracts directive.
Turning to the failed plan to sell state-owned telco Telekom, Vizjak
said the ministry acted prudently, since the state was in no hurry to
sell ≈such a good investment« at any price. The ministry analysed the
offers on the table and decided not to pick any of them. ≈The worse
thing would be to do otherwise and sell helter-skelter...Thus I believe
that the procedure regarding the intention to sell the investment
was carried out in the best possible fashion,« Vizjak added.
AGrICULtUrE MINIStEr SAyS StrAtEGIC
BASIS LAID
Slovenian agriculture has finished
its integration in the EU's Common
Agriculture Policy, strategic documents
have been adopted and high food
safety and quality standards have been
implemented, Agriculture Minister
Iztok Jarc said as he presented the
achievements of his ministry over
the past four years. Since 2004 the
government has provided budget funds
to top up EU farm payments so that Slovenian farmers get as much
money as their counterparts from the EU15. Overall, agriculture has
had no major problems phasing EU funds, he said. The government
has also adopted strategic documents such as the rural development
programme 2007-2013, the national forest programme, a sea
fisheries management plan and a strategic plan for fishery
development. In food safety several regulations were adopted and
a registry of traceability data through the entire food chain was
completed. The ministry also took action in the face of extraordinary
events such as bird flu, swine fever on the border with Croatia and
irregularities in food production, Jarc said. Jarc acknowledged that
the ministry failed with an act on the co-existence with genetically
modified organisms and an act on the promotion of farm produce
and food products, the former was being harmonised with the
European Commission for too long and the latter failed to make
it to parliament due to opposition by some farmers' organisations.
The minister believes the main problem of agriculture and food
industry will be adapting to the global trends. ≈Slovenian agriculture
accounts for 2% of GDP and just under 10% of total employment,
which shows that productivity is low,« he noted, adding that efforts
will have to be made to adjust to global trends. Other tasks that the
ministry faces in the future involve the adoption of an action plan for
adjusting agriculture and forestry to climate change (a strategy has
already been drafted). The ministry is already preparing tenders for
the promotion of irrigation and for anti-hail nets in orchards.
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whaTmakesThenews
CULtUrE MINIStEr SAyS 2004-2008 tErM
SUCCESSFUL
Minister Vasko Simoniti told the
press in what was a report on the
ministry's achievements during
the 2004-2008 term. The minister
underscored numerous new cultural
laws, an increased financial support for
artists and a number of investments
into cultural real estate, including
renovations of the Sneznik castle, the
Russian Chapel The Culture Ministry
has achieved everything that was set out in the coalition agreement,
outgoing Culture at the Vrsic mountain pass, and the rebuilding
of the WWII hospital Franja after devastating floods last autumn.
Simoniti is especially proud of the public broadcaster act, which he
said was similar to those in other EU countries. The law earmarked
more time for Slovenian music and it exempts the poorest from
paying the subscription fees, Simoniti said. The Directorate for Art
set up 15 multi-media centres across the country and started to
support young artists with scholarships, Simoniti said. The same
body also boosted the promotion of Slovenian music and increased
the funding of visual projects by 100%, said the minister. During
this term, Slovenia started to promote its art abroad, but also cofinanced
on average 30 local projects a year. State Secretary Jelka
Pirkovic, underlined the act on the Lipica stud farm, according to
which the farm was divided into a public institute and a business
company, while also a make-over of the the farm has also been
provided for.
trANSPOrt MINIStEr FOCUSED ABOvE
ALL ON rOAD trANSPOrt ISSUES
Transport Minister Radovan Žerjav said
that the ministry focused above all on
road transport issues, making it the
≈ministry of roads«. ≈I tried changing
that, deal more with the railways.
Whoever will be the transport minister
in the next term should not be the
minister of roads, but of railways,« he
said. The ministry faced a lot problems
regarding expensive and flawed
motorway construction, which led to road safety risks and subsequent
closures of motorway sections that caused a lot of public uproar.
Zerjav is especially proud of the recent introduction of the vignette
tolling system, which he said improved the traffic flow and safety and
decreased pollution. The ministry is also working on satellite tolling for
lorries, which is to be introduced in 2009. According to the minister,
more than 81 km of motorways were opened for traffic in the last
four years and another 82 km will open by the end of 2008. One
of the priorities was also to improve the safety on Slovenia's streets.
Žerjav said that during the first six months of 2008, the number of
death casualties dropped by 33 compared to the same period last year
due to the new road safety act. The minister stressed the importance
of ongoing railway modernisation worth EUR 8.9bn, which is to be
completed in 2023. The goal is to divert transportation traffic onto
the railways. Another great achievement was the modernisation of
the basic infrastructure of the Maribor airport, which cost some EUR
4.3m. Furthermore, the airport is to get an overhauled and bigger
passenger terminal in an investment worth some EUR 17m.
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