Background information

The eighth COVID-19 package (Act on Additional Measures for Mitigation of Consequences COVID-19, ZDUOP) determines more rules on paying back the state subsidies received by companies on the grounds of COVID-19 intervention measures. Previous COVID-19 laws have already stipulated that companies have to repay state subsidies if they exceeded income thresholds in 2020. From 2021 onwards, the new law also bans the distribution of profits and rewards to management in companies that received a partial reimbursement of the minimum wage increase or short-time subsidies

Content of measure

Employers who receive short-time subsidies or partial reimbursements of minimum wage increase may not distribute profits, purchase their own shares, pay rewards or performance bonuses to management. The provision will be in force from January to December 2021 for recipients of partial reimbursements of minimum wage increase and from February 2021 onwards for short-time subsidies. If they do, employers must notify the financial administration no later than two months after the payment. The financial administration can approve the repayment of subsidies in instalments upon request. The company that fails to report the payment risks a fine from €10,000 to €50,000 (from €450 to €2,000 for a responsible person). A fine between €1,500 and €8,000 can be imposed upon employers who employ 10 workers or less (from €450 to €1,200 for a responsible person)

Use of measure

Dnevnik daily reported results from the company survey conducted by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia (GZS). According to the survey, almost 40% of 423 companies will have to pay back state subsidies.

Target groups

Workers	Businesses	Citizens
Does not apply to workers	Applies to all businesses	Does not apply to citizens

Actors and funding

Actors	Funding
National government Employers' organisations	Companies

Social partners

Social partners' role in designing the measure and form of involvement:

	Trade unions	Employers' organisations
Role	Informed	Consulted
Form	Not applicable	Direct consultation outside a formal body

Social partners' role in the implementation, monitoring and assessment phase:

• No involvement
• Main level of involvement: Peak or cross-sectoral level

Involvement

The law draft was presented at the Economic and Social Council.

Views and reactions

The Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia proposed that the ban is in force no longer than companies receive state subsidies. The proposal was not adopted.

Sources

• 27 January 2021: GZS, Predlogi Gospodarske zbornice Slovenije za spremembe predloga PKP8 [Proposals for the Act on Additional Measures for Mitigation of Consequences COVID-19 (www.gzs.si)
• 04 February 2021: Act on Additional Measures for Mitigation of Consequences COVID-19 (Zakon o dodatnih ukrepih za omilitev posledic COVID-19, ZDUOP (www.pisrs.si)
• 17 February 2021: Igor Dernovšek, Anketa GZS [GZS survey], Dnevnik dail (www.dnevnik.si)