Ljubljana - Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek said Tuesday the government could intervene in the electricity market by banning exports and administering prices as a way to tackle the high price of energy.

"Slovenia produces 85% of the electricity it needs. But the fact is that we export half of what we produce. The state can intervene here - ban the export of our electricity and set the price. We will do that if needed," he said.

The comment came after a meeting with the management board of the Chamber of Trade Crafts and Small Business (OZS), where energy prices were one of the issues highlighted by businesses as problematic.

Počivalšek said the state could not influence gas and oil prices but could act on electricity that is domestically produced.