Ljubljana - The government adopted a new stimulus bill on Monday, with the extension of the furlough scheme and minimum wage subsidies as the key measures that are to help companies weather the epidemic.

In line with what is the eighth stimulus package, the state will subsidise the statutory raise of the minimum wage in the first half of 2021 by paying EUR 50 per worker whose pay without bonuses does not reach the minimum wage.

According to Labour Minister Janez Cigler Kralj, the minimum wage will raise to EUR 1,024.24 gross as of this month.

The state will provide subsidies from January to June 2021, according to a press release from the Government Communications Office.

In the second half of the year, employers will be exempt from paying a part of social security contributions for their employees because of the epidemic and the raise of the minimum pay.

The state will help the employers by reducing the lowest base for social contributions from 60% of the average salary to the sum corresponding to the minimum wage. Thus, it will shoulder some 42% of the raise, or EUR 40 per minimum wage earner, Cigler Kralj explained last week.

The new bill also extends the furlough scheme until 30 April with the possibility of two more one-month extensions.

It introduces a one-off income support for disabled persons and war veterans, one for high school students over 18, and one for students from Slovenia studying abroad in the 2020/2021 academic year.

The entire wording of the bill has not been published yet.