The government is studying the feasibility of several locations where it would like to expand its network of trade offices in a bid to attract more FDI and improve Slovenia's international competitive rating.
New offices are most likely to open in six countries, the Economics Ministry said on Friday after the government adopted a programme to establish different types of trade offices.
The ministry is currently considering Milan (Italy), Cologne or Munich (Germany), Hungary and France, as well as Romania and Turkey as possible sites for expansion.
According to the head of Foreign Economic Relations Directorate, 16 trade offices should be operating next year, 12 within an embassy or consulate and 4 under the Slovenian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (TIPO).
Mojca Jazbinsek Volk also told the press in Ljubljana that trade offices will first be established where Slovenia already has a diplomatic or consular mission.
Economics Minister Andrej Vizjak believes that without an appropriate network of trade offices, small and medium companies will find it difficult to prosper.
He also stressed the importance of an agreement with the Foreign Ministry under which the Economics Ministry will be in charge of business diplomacy, which will however organisationally remain under the Foreign Ministry.
It was also agreed that the Foreign Ministry will pay the Economics Ministry around SIT 400m (EUR 1.67) in 2006 and SIT 500m (EUR 2.08m) in 2007 to help cover the expansion of the network.
As for new trade offices in countries where diplomatic or consular missions do not exist, Jazbinsek Volk said they might be set up as representative offices of the TIPO, should that prove economically viable.
A third possible way would be an authorised private trade office established by a third party (e.g. Chamber of Commerce and Industry) if the government and the prospective founder show sufficient interest.
Trade offices will offer free services (preparing business and market profiles, news, etc.) and payable ones (specific services, search for business partners, in-depth market analyses, etc.) to small and middle enterprises
More articles from this issue:
Archive
|