Ljubljana - The government will decide on whether to introduce energy vouchers for the poorest households in January, when it has more data about energy price increases. Before that, the main measure to combat rising prices will be the special allowance for pensioners, Prime Minister Janez Janša said on Tuesday.

The tenth anti-corona stimulus bill, which has already been put to parliament, involves allowances for 300,000 pensioners and several other vulnerable categories such as the disabled and war veterans. Janša hopes it will be passed before the end of the year.

The energy vouchers under consideration would be distributed to "slightly over 60,000." The measure will be deployed "only if the situation lasts longer than predicted," according to the prime minister.

The government has also been called upon to help business. Janša said a task force had proposed a lower VAT rate on energy, but noted that the decision would depend on the conclusions of the EU summit on Thursday.

Janša's statements came in response to allegations by the opposition that the government is not doing enough to alleviate the energy price crisis, a charge that he denied saying action had been taken as soon as it became clear that the price rises would last longer.

What is more, he said, Slovenia is part of the European single market and its toolbox of measures is constrained accordingly.