56th regular session of the Government of the Republic of Slovenia

9. 1. 2020

Government of the Republic of Slovenia

At it's session, the Government adopted the wording of the proposed Court of Audit Act, which facilitates the auditing of the correct and prudent use of public funds and increases its efficiency. The act also expands the range of entities that may be audited by the court.

Prime Minister and members of the Government at the regular session — Regular Government Session | Author Bor Slana, STA

The Government further adopted a decree on co-financing the deployment of networks in "white areas", where inhabitants to date have had no access to such communications services. Investments in settlements with fewer than 5,000 inhabitants in the Pomurje, Podravje and Koroška regions will be supported. This is the implementation of the sub-measure "Support for broadband infrastructure and the provision of access to the broadband Internet" pursuant to the Rural Development Programme of the Republic of Slovenia 2014–2020.

The Government also adopted the Decree on the criteria for the promotion and co-financing of projects and investments and the implementation of activities in Triglav National Park. Projects of local communities in Triglav National Park will be co-financed from the national budget in the amount of EUR 1 million annually.

Report on the international development cooperation of the Republic of Slovenia for 2018

The Government of the Republic of Slovenia adopted the Report on the international development cooperation of the Republic of Slovenia for 2018.

Slovenia earmarked EUR 70.76 million for official development assistance in 2018, which accounts for 0.16% of the GDP.

Two-thirds of development assistance in 2018, or EUR 45.95 million, is multilateral development assistance. The contribution to the EU budget earmarked for development cooperation and humanitarian aid within the EU is followed by a contribution to the European Development Fund (EDF), aimed at financing EU development cooperation with the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States and the Overseas Countries and Territories. Slovenia also provides an important part of multilateral assistance through the United Nations system and the World Bank Group.

One third of official development assistance, or EUR 24.81 million, is bilateral development assistance. The largest share of the latter consists of exemptions from school fees and scholarships (development and humanitarian projects, technical assistance, earmarked contributions through international organisations, support of the work of international non-governmental organisations, administrative assistance, raising public awareness of the importance of international development cooperation and the costs of providing for refugees and migrants in Slovenia). In 2018, Slovenia once again allocated the largest share to the Western Balkans region, and, among these countries, to Serbia.

In line with international commitments, Slovenia should step up its efforts to gradually increase the share of gross national income earmarked for official development assistance in order to reach 0.33% by 2030.