The petition was launched ten days ago by several economists and NGOs and has so far been signed by around 9,700 people. It is a reaction to the anti-privatisation launched by left-leaning economists in December.

Today's session was called by the SDS as the largest opposition party wanted the committee also to be acquainted with the pro-privatisation petition as it already debated the anti-privatisation campaign on 16 January.

The SDS believes that halting the process of privatisation would be harmful to the development of Slovenia's economy and the country as a whole, SDS deputy Marko Pogačnik said, while noting that the party is against ad hoc privatisation without a strategy and classification of state assets.

Pogačnik argued that privatisation is necessary because of the public finance situation, adding that the share of state-owned assets in the entire economy in Slovenia is excessively high.

The supporters of the petition argued that privatisation is also necessary in order to ensure better corporate management, that the state should leave business to professionals and instead provide a good business environment.

Rok Novak of IBEX - Youth for Free Future, one of the initiators of the petition, said that profitability of companies in direct and indirect state ownership speak in favour of privatisation. In order to develop, companies need fresh capital, which the state is not able to provide, he added.

Finance Ministry State Secretary Metod Dragonja told the committee that privatisation is necessary for servicing of the public debt and sustaining public finances, as well as ensuring competitiveness and the country's international credibility.

Dragonja noted that his ministry has already drafted a strategy for the management of state assets, which is currently being debated within the coalition and will be subject to a broad public debate.

A majority of the committee members expressed support for transparent and fair privatisation. The opposition United Left (ZL) is meanwhile explicitly against privatisation, arguing that it is unfair, that the state is being forced to privatise and that it brings no benefits.