The Slovenia Times

PM Says Petrol Not Strategic Investment

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Cerar was answering a question by the Alenka Bratušek Alliance (ZaAB), the party of former prime minister, which wanted to push legislative changes that would reinstate the need for government consent in a potential sale of Petrol.

ZaAB's motion, filed in November, came less than a year after the Bratušek government introduced changes that would allow Petrol sale without the government's consent. The party now claims the relevant provision was left out by mistake.

Bratušek, who has vied for European commissioner for energy union in the autumn but stepped down after failing to garner support from relevant European Parliament Committees, asked her successor in the PM office why the government failed to give its approval to her party's proposal.

Cerar said the motion filed by ZaAB was neither comprehensive nor systemic, but assured Bratušek that the government followed the issue closely, as Petrol was very important for Slovenia.

He underlined that the country's assets are to be classified in line with the state assets management strategy, which will be discussed by the government shortly and is to be on the agenda of the National Assembly early next year.

He added that Petrol, "in which the state holds a 24.87% stake", could hardly be labelled as a strategic investment under the act of Slovenia Sovereign Holding because it is leas than 25% state-owned. However, data on Petrol ownership show that state-owned funds and companies hold nearly 35% in the company.

The same goes for Petrol's stakes in power supplier GEN-I and gas company Geoplin, said Cerar. The only really important holding is that of Geoplin in Plinovodi, which owns strategic gas infrastructure and must remain 51% state-owned.

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