"It is our estimate that we will save 150,000 to 170,000 euros in a year alone," Skalar said as the Ministry of Economic Development and Technology presented the agency's programme for 2013 and 2014.

The other advantages of merging three different agencies into SPIRIT Slovenia would be joint appearances abroad, especially at fairs, under the same "I feel Slovenia" trademark and offering everything domestic and foreign business people need at one place, according to Skalar.

SPIRIT Slovenia was launched as of 2013, taking over the duties of the Agency for Entrepreneurship and Foreign Investments (JAPTI), the Slovenian Tourism Board (STO) and the Technology Agency (TIA).

It employs 90 full-time staff and another 25 people working on different projects. It was set up to streamline promotional efforts in these areas and will perform development tasks aimed at boosting the competitiveness of the Slovenian economy.

The government has recently adopted the agency's business plan for 2013 and 2014, earmarking EUR 46.87m for this year and EUR 34.52m for next, said State Secretary at the Economic Development Ministry Uroš Rožič.

"This year EUR 21m will be available for encouraging entrepreneurship and innovation, EUR 15m for encouraging FDI and internationalization, and some EUR 8m for tourism," according to Rožič.

The meaning of promoting the Slovenian economy and tourism was also highlighted by head of the Directorate for Tourism and Internationalization Marjan Hribar, who said the goal was to encourage exports, which currently stand at some EUR 20bn, and the number of exporters.

"If we manage to generate EUR 25bn in exports, the Slovenian economy would move from where it is at the moment, whereupon one could talk about conditions for economic growth."

Hribar also announced the ministry would publish a call to stimulate FDI for 2013 within a fortnight.

He said a lot had been going on over the past couple of months, with foreigners interested in investing in various lines of business visiting Slovenia. He said foreign investors were interested also in companies in receivership, highlighting paper mill Radeče papir and spa Rimske terme.

Skalar added Slovenia was now ready for some "serious FDI".