Energy self-sufficiency, first call

At today's session of the Committee on the Economy, the Government of the Republic of Slovenia included a new project in the Development Programmes Plan 2022-2025 titled Energy self-sufficiency, first call. Subsidies/financial assistance for energy self-sufficiency devices are also planned. The Energy self-sufficiency, first call project will also be implemented in the scope of this measure, namely in line with the public tender of the Eco Fund 93SUB-SO21. Subsidies will be aimed at new investments concerning the purchase and instalment of devices for an individual or community self-sufficiency of household electricity consumers or small commercial electricity consumers, generating solar energy. The purpose of providing subsidies will be the promotion of the instalment of devices to promote electricity self-sufficiency, thus increasing the share of RES in the final electricity consumption. The aim of the project is to increase the use of renewable energy sources and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Reducing the energy required to power buildings, which will be self-sufficient with the generated electricity, will ensure lower operating costs, reduced environmental burdens and greenhouse gas emissions in the long term. Due to the comprehensive approach to planning, optimising efficient energy measures and reducing operating and maintenance costs, they have a longer lifecycle and low carbon footprint. The total amount of subsidies is EUR 25,000,000.00, up to EUR 1,000,000.00 for 2022, and up to EUR 24,000,000.00 for 2023. The estimated duration of financing will be by the end of 2023, or until all funds are used.

The Ribnica fund has been recapitalised with approx. EUR 10 million

The government has approved the allocation of funds from received purchase prices and additional recapitalisation for increasing the assets of the Public Fund of the Republic of Slovenia for Regional and Rural Development, Ribnica (Ribnica fund), in the total amount of EUR 10,379,170.88.

The fund will use the assets in line with its business and financial plan for 2022 and 2023. Various stimulation programmes are planned, as well as favourable loans. With the payment of the additional assets, public tenders will be made available in the framework of the Entrepreneurship, Agriculture and Forestry programme and the Local Community programme, as well as other parts of the public sector. Public tenders will be open from 2022 until the end of 2024.

The stimulation programmes will be aimed at promoting entrepreneurship, with special focus on the transition to a carbon-free economy, green transition, digital transformation and socially responsible projects, wood processing, digitalisation, and on material and energy efficiency. They will also include incentives for municipalities by allocating favourable loans for financing the local and regional public infrastructure, incentives for agriculture and forestry, as well as incentives for increasing the economic base in areas where minorities live.

Investors will be able to close financing structures for investments that were supported in the framework of the recovery and resilience plan, multi-year financial framework and crediting energy renovations of micro, small and medium-sized companies from problematic border areas.

The source of new assets are the funds from purchase prices and additionally provided funds for the recapitalisation of the Ribnica fund, which have been secured in the budget of the Republic of Slovenia for the year of 2022.

The government has opened a new budget item

In the financial plan of the Ministry of Economic Development and Technology, the government opened up a new budget item titled Increase of earmarked assets of the Slovene Enterprise Fund - Expensiveness.

The new item, Increase of earmarked assets of the Slovene Enterprise Fund - Expensiveness, was opened in the framework of the main programme, Incentives for the growth and development of companies and sub-programme Support to small and medium-sized companies. Funds in the total amount of EUR 6 million will be secured for this purpose in 2022.

More funds for the renovation of the Bassegio palace in Koper

During the implementation of the project, “Renovation of the Bassegio palace in Koper”, there was an increase in its value, from the initial EUR 490,501 to EUR 1,032,602. At the meeting of the State Regulation and Public Affairs Committee, the Government of the Republic of Slovenia placed this increase among the applicable Development Programmes Plan for 2022-2025.

The purpose of the project is to establish a centre for Venice history and cultural heritage at the Bassegio palace, which is a joint transnational project of Slovenian and Italian universities, archives and municipalities.

The change in the project’s value in the applicable Development Programmes Plan

The government changed the baseline value in the applicable Development Programmes Plan 2022-2025 for the Information equipment of the National Assembly project.

The baseline value of the project has changed from EUR 1.07 million to approx. EUR 1.37 million. The funds are intended for the purchase of a colour multifunctional device and multimedia equipment for recording sessions and events in the National Assembly, among other things. The project is in its implementation state, and funds have been secured in full in the framework of the National Assembly’s financial plan.

The government has reallocated national budget funds

At the committee, the government allocated EUR 3.95 million to the National Electoral Commission, among other things. The funds are intended to cover the costs of the three referendums which were carried out on 27 November 2022.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs was given a million euros from the government for the humanitarian contribution to the World Food Programme to help with the food issue of the affected population in the least developed countries, in the framework of the Grain from Ukraine humanitarian programme.

Within the financial plan, the Ministry of Labour, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities was given almost EUR 1.6 million from the government for the pay-out of child benefits in the month of December 2022.

Within the financial plan, the Ministry of Labour, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities was given EUR 5.46 million from the government for transfers to unemployed persons.

The government has reallocated this year’s budget funds

Among other things, we will allocate and reallocate to the Ministry of Labour, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities and within the financial plan of the Ministry, the spending rights in the total amount of approx. EUR 2.7 million for the pay-out of energy benefits intended to mitigate the consequences of increases in prices of energy products and basic necessities for the most vulnerable population groups.

Spending rights of EUR 750 thousand will be reallocated into the financial plan of the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport for their (co-)organisation of the European women’s handball competition.

The government has reallocated spending rights in this year’s budget

The Ministry of the Environment and Spatial Planning shall, among other things, reallocate spending rights of EUR 1,033,023.31 in the scope of its financial plan, in order to settle international membership fees and for maintenance tasks of the water infrastructure.