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Talking to the press on Friday, Stepišnik presented the 2014 and 2015 budgets for his ministry and the department's plans for this period.

Under the 2014 draft budget the ministry will have at its disposal EUR 432.9m in budget and EU funds, which will be EUR 22m more than in 2013. The money will be used to encourage growth, support tourism, spur regional development and promote employment, Stepišnik told the press.

The draft budget for 2015 earmarks EUR 391m for the Economy Ministry, EUR 42m less than the 2014 draft budget. In the coming two years the department will invest EUR 247.6m to encourage entrepreneurship and competitiveness.

The minister underlined the importance of bank system restructuring, adding that he expects the stress test results, which are to be known soon, to be at a level that will allow Slovenia to resolve the problem on its own.

He also believes that capital adequacy of Slovenia's companies should be improved. Bank restructuring will not be enough, he said. Company's credit ratings must be good so that they can get loans.

Moreover, Slovenia "must build on added value". He pointed out that added value per employee in Slovenia was at EUR 37,500 while in Austria it reached EUR 96,000.

The ministry will moreover continue to perform activities to boost foreign direct investments in the coming two years. EUR 9.2m have been earmarked in the 2014 draft budget for this purpose and EUR 10.3m in 2015.