Vision

The Ministry's vision is centred on support for the further strengthening of the international competitiveness of Slovenian companies and on the aggressive adjustment of the structure of Slovenia's economy into a structure most adapted to the demands of the global economy.

Policy measures are therefore prioritised towards developing a business culture and common standards in society that promote innovation, investment in knowledge, new technology and enterprise, and towards formulating regulations that will stimulate enterprise and innovation in companies.

The Ministry therefore contributes to reducing the risks for companies and for individuals owing to the increasingly major and rapid changes, and thereby also to reducing the resistance to changes that today more than ever are the motive force for progress and international competitiveness.

Tasks

The legislative amendment of 2004 expanded the area of responsibility covered by the Ministry of the Economy. It is now divided into six directorates, covering:

• enterprise and competitiveness,

• foreign economic relations,

• the internal market,

• tourism,

• energy and

• electronic communications.

There are also bodies operating within the ministry, performing tasks in the areas of:

• intellectual property,

• consumer protection,

• protection of competition,

• economic promotion and promotion of foreign investment,

• market inspection,

• inspection of electronic communications and mail, and

• energy sector inspection.

Objectives

• Since exports continue to provide the stimulus for sustained and dynamic economic growth following accession to the EU, the Ministry develops and fleshes out measures aimed primarily at the more rapid and effective internationalisation of small and medium-sized enterprises and at the development of a support infrastructure.

• With the objective of increasing economic growth, the Ministry is also working for the greatest possible inclusion of Slovenia's economy in NATO projects.

• Equally important are those measures aimed at strengthening the competitive abilities of Slovenian companies by increasing direct input and output investments.

• Measures for strengthening the key factors of success for companies are set out in such a way as:

- to foster the promotion of enterprise as a societal culture,

- to encourage individual enterprise target groups,

- to promote the linking of the science and research spheres with the economy in order to achieve greater synergistic effects,

- to encourage innovation and introduce high technology and development, along with the adaptation of new forms of project and proprietary financial companies. Here an important part is played by the two support institutions through their activities in the area of effective support via the promotional network for small business and in developing financial instruments.

• Equally, activities are carried out to promote the internationalisation of companies, to link and network companies together, alongside programmes to increase productivity, to ensure more favourable spatial and technical conditions for the creation and operation of companies in the early stages of development, programmes to create an innovative environment, to implement measures within the framework of the first priority task of the EPD, to improve the access of companies to quality information and services, to provide financial instruments to promote investment and develop new financial instruments. This involves cooperation and implementation of the guidelines of the Lisbon strategy for the area of competitiveness and growth.

• The Ministry devotes special attention to privatising companies owned by the Slovenian steel industry and other property suitable for sale, and also to the relevant completion of work in mines being subject to closure.

• The Electronic Communications Directorate determined as the fundamental programme priorities ensuring competition in the electronic communications markets, and development of fixed broadband networks. These priorities will be fulfilled through the introduction of the transferability of numbers, by analysing the relevant markets and by determining appropriate measures, by preventing the use of measures for linking customers to the operator for an excessively long period, by finalising and adopting implementing regulations for the electronic communications act, by elaborating a strategy to privatise Telekom Slovenije, by enhancing the strategy for developing broadband networks, by using the instrument of structural funds for developing rural areas, by linking up public institutions and by using other proprietary funds for promoting development of broadband networks.

• Slovenia has formally opened up the majority of the market for electrical energy and the market for natural gas, but since Slovenia is a small market, the optimum size for an energy company exceeds the dimensions of the Slovenian market, and in consequence there is the relatively fast onset of monopolies. For this reason, in the area of energy the Ministry of the Economy is prioritising activities facilitating the emergence of new subjects in the electrical energy and natural gas market, and this will be followed later by developmentally orientated privatisation. Another important task in the area of energy is ensuring a reliable energy supply, so the Ministry of the Economy is promoting investment in new production capacities and in strengthening the two transmission networks (gas and electricity).