Reform Possible only at the beginning of the term of office
Tax changes are only possible with small steps, and they are the most loud critics who think they will bring them negative consequences and everyone else is quiet, said Finance Minister Klemen Boštjančič At the business forum Challenges and Opportunities 2025 organized by Bloomberg Adria. As for the real estate tax, he explained that the ministry had opened a public debate about it and heard a lot of criticism in it, and they also prepare answers that have not yet been published.
The minister also estimated that the tax reform was a matter of steps, but it can only be carried out at the beginning, in the first or second year of mandate, and later that « there is no great will to change among politicians. » From all of the above, we can rightly conclude that in the last year the current government is not expected to be expected in the tax area. He also explained that they wanted to expand their property tax with real estate tax, they also wanted to address the question of how young and middle classes should reach the apartment, while also wanting to prevent real estate the most desirable investment.
Boštjančič rejected criticism that in Slovenia we are too conservative in tax changes, we have to ask ourselves how much welfare state we want to have. In his opinion, « we live in a country where most think that everything should be free. » Interest groups have their wishes and expectations, politicians are prone to dramatic statements, but no measures, and on the other hand, only this year’s transfer to the health fund amounted to € 1.5 billion.
He himself sees three tax policy objectives: economy competitiveness, social policy and an appropriate level of tax services. In this context, for him, tax policy is not a magic stick, but only « support policy », even when it comes to competitiveness. According to him, the latter is not so small in Slovenia, and foreign businessmen, especially in the fields of pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, believe that our business environment is favorable for foreign investors.
Asked how to achieve the target € 100,000 in value added per employee in Slovenia, the Minister is convinced that in Slovenia we are among the more generous countries when it comes to subsidies for various industries. By 2030, we have as many as 40 strategic industries in the strategy, which is, of course, too much. On the other hand, I would like more ambition and boldness of Slovenian private societies to grow with acquisitions, not just organic. In doing so, he is skeptical of the idea that Dars would also be included on the Ljubljana Stock Exchange, saying that he is too dependent on state measures.
