Prime Minister Robert Golob: It is the Government’s duty to support automotive industry development
The Prime Minister and the ministerial team met with the largest suppliers of the Slovenian automotive industry at the headquarters of Iskra Mehanizmi | Author STA/Daniel Novaković
The majority of the Slovenian Government and eleven of the most prominent companies, representing 70 per cent of the domestic automotive industry and providing 14,300 jobs, dedicated most of their attention to the plans for further development and measures to support most effectively the ambitiously set objectives for faster growth.
At Brnik, the Prime Minister and seven accompanying ministers were unanimous that the automotive industry is strategically one of the most important industrial or propulsive branches in the country. Its proportion in the national economy exceeds that of the EU, in which this industry represents seven per cent and, in Slovenia, it represents ten per cent of the entire gross national income. Some 400 companies engaged in this industry directly or indirectly employ more than 40,000 people and generate important added value.
As was highlighted by the Prime Minister after the meeting, "the discussions with the representatives involved investment in the development with the objective of still being among the best in the world, as a country in this industry in the coming decades."
The Prime Minister assessed that crisis management on the one hand and accelerated investment in development on the other are the only keys to the survival of our economy. He expressed his satisfaction that, despite challenging conditions, there are still serious companies in our country that primarily focus on development and enter into an active dialogue with the Government. "The Government is ready for this discourse," Dr Golob added.
The Government and the representatives of the GREMO Mission, which was established at the initiative of the most prominent members of the Automotive Cluster of Slovenia, wish to further enhance development trends for green mobility and preserve their position in global markets. More efforts directed towards innovation have greater financial implications, which is why the Prime Minister anticipated the investment of budgetary resources for the development of this industry in the amount of EUR 30 million annually. The Prime Minister wishes for more resources, as he is certain that this is the right development direction for Slovenian industry. "It is the Government’s duty to support such development," he concluded and asked the automotive supplier industry to be even more ambitious in the coming years.