Bajuk Promotes Slovenia as Investment-Friendly Country
Finance Minister Andrej Bajuk presented Slovenia's economy to some 40 potential investors from France in Paris on Wednesday, saying that the country had achieved the level of "normality of the old EU members", and most importantly, was no longer unknown and was subject to the same rules as other euro area EU countries.
Bajuk, presenting Slovenia's economic situation and opportunities offered by the Slovenian market at the Agency for the International Promotion of French Technology and Trade, called on investors to talk to their colleagues who are already present in Slovenia. "It is a really friendly environment."
One of the miracles of Slovenia is that it broke off with the past and entered the eurozone as soon as possible. There are no signs of serious macroeconomic risks, Bajuk told French business executives.
According to the minister, the five biggest exporters generate some 20% of the Slovenian total exports, while the rest of the exports are made by small and micro companies. Since companies do many different things, the economy is very resistant to shocks, he added.
He explained that in 2005 Slovenia's GDP per capita amounted to 82% of the EU25 GDP. The unemployment rate currently stands at 5.8%, the country's public debt is relatively low, fiscal policy is healthy, there are no major pressures on inflation, however the state is facing some key projects, he said.
Bajuk also presented some reforms that the government had initiated, including legislative changes referring to investment and income tax, and labour market reform.
Dominique Lapierre, business attache at the French embassy in Ljubljana, meanwhile said Slovenia was a developed country, lying at the crossroads between Western and Eastern Europe, which was important from the logistics point of view.
France is the fourth largest direct investor in Slovenia, with a 9% share, Jan Stanovnik of the Public Agency for Entrepreneurship and Foreign Investments told some 40 potential investors. According to him, most attractive sectors for investments were logistics and distribution centres and tourism.
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