The 52:13 vote comes only days after the National Council voted against the bill. An absolute majority in the 90-member legislature was needed to overturn the veto.

The decision comes as expected because the registers were supported by 48 MPs first time around.

National councillor Alojz Kovšca said today that Friday's rejection was the consequence of unsatisfactory answers as regards the cost-benefit effectiveness of the measure.

He also doubts whether the system would be effective in the fight against the shadow economy.

Finance Minister Dušan Mramor on the other hand stressed that this would be only one in a series of measure fighting the shadow economy.