Slovenia will send over 1.2 million face masks to China to help it contain the coronavirus outbreak. The shipment is due to be dispatched to Wuhan, the epicentre of the outbreak, this week, the government said on Thursday.

A criminal complaint has been filed against chief market inspector Andrejka Grlić by tax inspectors over her interfering in their cases, including stopping inspections to protect selected individuals, TV Slovenija has reported. The complaint was extended to Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek over his failure to take action.

Democrats (SDS) head Janez Janša, who is trying to form a centre-right coalition after the resignation of PM Marjan Šarec, said Thursday that a second round of talks was under way and that the potential partners shared a great deal priority-wise. In terms of content, a coalition able of tackling current issues and some delays is possible, he feels.

Slovenia's motorway company DARS signed on Thursday a EUR 90 million 22-year loan agreement with the European Investment Bank (EIB) for the construction of a second tube of the Karavanke tunnel, a vital transport link with Austria.

The European Commission has kept Slovenia's economic forecast unchanged at 2.7% for 2020 and 2021, more than double the eurozone average. In its winter 2020 forecast released on Thursday, it said consumption and investment are expected to continue growing while net exports are set to "weigh on growth over the forecast horizon".