Slovenia Ready To Guarantee Up to 8.0 Bln Euro Loans of Local Financial Institutions – Fin Min

The government also plans to give loans to Slovenia-based banks, insurers, reinsurers and pension funds, the ministry said in a statement after a joint news conference of Finance Minister Andrej Bajuk and Bozo Jasovic, member of the central bank’s council.

The government has submmited to Parliament amendments to the country's legislation that need to be made in order to implement the proposed measures.

The planned measures will be effective by December 31, 2009 at the latest and will be implemented only if needed, the ministry added.

Bank officials and analysts have said the Slovenian banking system is steady and has not been impacted significantly by the global financial woes.

Eighteen banks operate in Slovenia, a country of two million people, which joined the European Union in 2004 and entered the eurozone in 2007.

($ = 0.7627 euro)