News roundup - Wednesday, 21 August

Focus in dealing with Roma shifts to security

LJUBLJANA - A government task force on Roma issues held an urgent meeting. It decided to set up a special sub-group to focus exclusively on improving security in areas where Roma live. The task force has so far focused on Roma integration, but the meeting concluded that this needs to change. "The task force will continue to focus on measures in the area of Roma integration, while the special sub-group will focus exclusively on improving security issues," said Interior Ministry State Secretary Helga Dobrin said, who chairs the task force.

Trade union of doctors presents news strike demands to govt

LJUBLJANA - Fides, the trade union of doctors and dentists, has issued a new set of demands to the government amid the ongoing eight-month strike. Is has expanded the strike demands because, it says, the government has degraded the public sector's pay system during the ongoing public sector talks, creating new anomalies which will primarily affect doctors. The additional demands concern key working conditions, including implementation of Article 10.a from the collective agreement and the European working time directive.

President's visit to Mongolia opens doors for economic cooperation

ULAN BATOR, Mongolia - The first official visit of Slovenia's President Nataša Pirc Musar to Mongolia is opening doors for Slovenian economy, said the Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GZS), which helped organise a business forum. The president was quoted as saying that there was potential to strengthen economic cooperation in food production and smart agriculture, sustainable tourism, pharmaceutical industry, food supplements, informatics and digitalisation.

High speed train to link European Culture Capital with rest of Italy

GORIZIA, Italy - As part of the European Capital of Culture project, which will be hosted by neighbouring cities Nova Gorica and Italy's Gorizia in 2025, Italy's national railway company Trenitalia will set up this September a high speed train connection from Gorizia to several major Italian cities to attract more visitors to the culture capitals. The route will provide a direct connection with a Frecciarossa train between Gorizia and Naples, with stops in Venice, Bologna, Florence and Rome.

Alpacem Cement to pay out EUR 20m in dividends

ANHOVO - Shareholders of Alpacem Cement, formerly called Salonit Anhovo, approved the management board's proposal to pay out around EUR 20 million in dividends from the EUR 63.9 million in distributable profit for 2023. The company made EUR 30.6 million in net profit in 2023, up 29% from the year before. Dividends of EUR 22.7 per share will be paid out by 28 August.

Central bank's Bombač appointed new boss of LJSE

LJUBLJANA - The Ljubljana Stock Exchange will have a new chief executive as 1 September. The supervisory board of Slovenia's sole stock exchange has appointed Marko Bombač to the post. He will succeed Aleš Ipavec, whose second term expires at the end of August. Bombač is coming from the Bank of Slovenia, where he has been director of risk management since 2020.