Prime Minister Janez Jansa provided a positive overall assessment of the economic development of Zasavje in the two years since the government paid its first visit to the central Slovenian region. Zasavje is catching up with the Slovenian and EU average, he told the press on Wednesday.
Zasavje's GDP was at 90.5% of the national average in 2006, placing it 8th among Slovenia's 12 statistical regions. Unemployment dropped by nearly 4 percentage points to 8.1% and companies in the region have posted a net profit overall, he explained.
The phasing of EU funds has also improved and by 2013 the region can draw EUR 19m, with EUR 7m already approved for cohesion funds and EUR 1m for human resources development. Moreover, the municipalities in the region got an extra EUR 18m with changes to the act on the funding of municipalities.
Looking back at the promises made two years ago, Jansa said the government fulfilled pledges regarding the construction of infrastructure and the move of the inspectorate for energy and mining to Zagorje ob Savi.
Two years ago in Zasavje the government stressed Zasavje's role as an energy hub, as it is home to one of the biggest power stations in the country, the Trbovlje thermal power plant, and a big coal mine, which is however in the process of shutting down.
In an interview for local Radio Kum today, Jansa said that the closure of the Trbovlje Hrastnik mine does not mean the end of energy production in the region, it is only that "energy sources will be different and this will require some adjustment".
What is more, he said several hi-tech companies have emerged in the region and are taking advantage of the opportunities created by fast economic growth.
Economy Minister Andrej Vizjak meanwhile revealed that the power plant and the management of its owner, the state-owned HSE holding, had reached an agreement on a development programme that also takes account of the Trbovlje Hrastnik coal mine.
The existing generators would run until 2015 with additional investment. By early 2016 the power plant would build a new unit running on gas as well as a parallel co-generation unit for solids or biomass.
As part of the visit today the prime minister and the ministers met representatives of the municipalities Hrastnik, Trbovlje and Zagorje ob Savi, and visited a number of companies and institutions.
The visit wrapped up with a meeting with mayors, businessmen, MPs and National Council members from the region, at which businessmen in particular quizzed the ministers about the government's efforts to make life easier for companies.
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