Ljubljana - The government will prepare a bill bringing the sixth package of measures by the end of the week, focussing on the industries which have been hit hardest by the Covid-19 crisis, Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek said as he held a video call on Tuesday with Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GZS) president Boštjan Gorjup.

Special attention will be paid to small and medium-sized companies as the most vulnerable ones, a release from the Ministry of Economic Development and Technology said.

"We'd like to foremost reassure small and medium-sized companies because we understand their extreme hardship and vulnerability in these crazy times," Počivalšek said.

Apart from extending some measures such as the moratorium on loan payments, new solutions are planned such as subsidies for fixed costs and rent payments writeoffs when the premises are rented from the state or municipalities. Online shareholder meetings are also to be legislated, the release said.

According to the business newspaper Finance, there are three different proposals concerning fixed costs, but in any case, subsidies would range from EUR 100,000 to EUR 700,000 depending on the size of the company.

Počivalšek meanwhile told the GZS president that "just like this spring, we'll ensure the preservation of social stability and jobs in the coming months".

The ministry also supports the GZS's proposal to freeze for two years a minimum wage rise scheduled for 1 January 2021, as it could pose a threat to many jobs.

According to Finance, companies which have seen at least a 40% drop in sales revenue compared to 2019 should be eligible for subsidies for furloughed workers under the planned legislation. The compensation for being furloughed would no longer be limited the minimum wage but to average wage.

SID Banka's guarantee scheme for liquidity loans would be prolonged beyond the end of 2020 but also streamlined.