On March 30, 2022, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia, the Manager Association and AmCham Slovenia, which create the Economic Circle to promote the awareness of the importance of cooperation and dialogue with politics, addressed issues in the areas of lean and friendly, green and smart, progressive, capable and ambitious Slovenia.

The conversation was attended by (parties listed in alphabetical order): Gibanje svoboda – Dimitrij Zadel, Levica – Luka Mesec, LMŠ – Igor Peček, Naša dežela – Aleksandra Pivec, Nsi – Matej Tonin, PoS – Simon Zajc, SAB – Angelika Mlinar, SD – Sandi Češko in SDS – Andrej Šircelj.

The following nine areas were highlighted by the Economic Circle as the most important:

  1. Less bureaucracy: it would be necessary to speed up the procedures for adopting spatial acts, simplify the field of the labour market (labour market flexibility) and taxes, simplify tender documentation, set measurable targets for reducing the number of regulations and increase the efficiency of administrative bodies.
  2. The pension reform requires greater incentives to save in the 2nd pension pillar (opt-out clause, increase to 10% of gross salary and the limit of EUR 5,000 per year), the introduction of the 3rd pension pillar (P-accounts) and its more favourable tax treatment. Support for the development of the domestic capital market and the predictability of the reform of the 1st pension pillar, measures to prolong employment and speed up entry into the labour market are crucial.
  3. The health reform: it would be necessary to increase health expenditure, especially through greater participation of private sources, while streamlining existing operations, and clearly defining patients’ health rights – baskets of rights. It is also necessary to measure the quality of treatment results and improve the public procurement system and specialize individual public providers. Abstinence will need to be better managed and the incapacity for work limited.
  4. Science: needS greater incentives to transfer knowledge to the economy. It is necessary to renovate educational content and introduce compulsory subjects in the field of computer science and informatics. We need more integration of RDI institutions and the economy and encourage spin-offs in the research sector.
  5. Digitalisation: it is necessary to formulate the Digital Slovenia 2030 strategy with key performance factors (KPIs), increase the efficiency of public administration, introduce the possibility of e-service and digital billing and ensure cyber security and resistance to digital attacks.
  6. Green energy transition: we need an appropriate mix of electricity produced that will ensure competitiveness in the economy. It is necessary to increase investments in the Slovenian low-voltage and medium-voltage electricity network and to ensure greater self-sufficiency in waste treatment. There is an urgent need to support research and development into hydrogen technologies and carbon capture, together with emerging technologies and transmission infrastructure.
  7. The modern labour market and talent: faster and less complex administrative procedures for the employment of foreigners and systemic regulation of work from home should be introduced. We support the introduction of the compulsory subject RIN (computer science and informatics) in primary and secondary schools. It is necessary to renew the wage policy in the public sector and its connection with the effects, accelerate the introduction of apprenticeships and introduce vouchers for the competencies of the future.
  8. Development tax policy: it would be necessary to introduce a development cap of 2.5 times the average salary, ie. at EUR 4,600 gross salary (cap on social security contributions) and to maintain incentives for investment in research and development. Dividend taxation must be reduced, legislation on employee participation in profits must be simplified, and a special tax on certain benefits (ZPDDP) must be abolished.
  9. The rule of law and corporate governance: it is necessary to ensure the predictability of legal regulations for the economy and the agility of the structure of regulators, the independence of decision-making bodies and their objectivity. We need mechanisms to resolve economic disputes faster and a specialized tribunal for economic crime.

 

Source: GZS (Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia). The complete article in Slovene is available here.