Navigating through the economic downturn has taken a heavy toll on the enterprises in agriculture, food and textile - once the driving force of Pomurje’s economy. In effort to encourage economic growth and investment in geographic areas targeted for economic revitalizing, Slovenian Government promulgated on 1 January 2010 the Act on Development Support to the Pomurje Region in the Period 2010-2015 designed to encourage businesses to locate and expand in Pomurje. The measures in place until 2015 include:

The Government-backed program designed to give sharpen the competitive edge of the Pomurje region: grants are available for the business environment improvement and capital investments;
On the jobs front: tax incentives and refunds of social and health insurance contributions paid by employers;
Fiscal incentives for investment: pre-tax profit can be reduced by 70% of the capital expenditure for investment making the tax charge proportionally lower;
Priority treatment of the investment projects to be located in Pomurje when bidding for financing from the national development funds and the EU Cohesion Fund;
Institutional support provided by the Government Office for Local Government and Regional Policy in Pomurje.

Pomurje is also a holiday destination where investment will meet even the most stringent criteria for both risk and reward. Its natural thermal waters can be used to treat various disorders and ailments or to provide a range of spa experiences. There is a favorable environment for investing in tourism and support infrastructure projects that make sense for both sides as “win-win” scenarios. An assessment of Pomurje’s geothermal resources and the possibilities for their exploitation beyond bathing in the mineral-rich water from the thermal springs is among the development priorities of the region.

Location and transport

The Pomurska Region at the north-east of Slovenia stretches from the Mura River to the state borders with Austria, Croatia and Hungary. It is a flat country interrupted by rolling hills covering 6.6% of Slovenia.

The prospects for an economic upswing across the board are much more tangible since the blueprint for the modernisation of infrastructure (road network in particular) has been made.

Population

Pomurska has the population of 119,500. The region is multicultural and the Hungarian minority has a strong presence. There is a part of the region that has been traditionally oriented towards Austria.

Education structure of population aged 15 - 64 in the Pomurska Region

: Source: Statistical Yearbook, 2011

Towns

The regional centre is Murska Sobota (20,000 inhabitants) whit the College of economics. Most students study at the University of Ljubljana or the University of Maribor.

Other principal towns include Gornja Radgona (12,500), Lendava (12,600) and Ljutomer (12,200).

Economy

The region has preserved unpolluted and untouched environment with vast fertile plains that have always sustained agriculture that at present employs 6% of the working population. Among the most prosperous industries there are:

textile
agri-food
metal-processing
chemicals

The sunset of labour-intense industries with large enterprises accounts for 18% unemployment rate or more than 10,000 registered job seekers. As the least developed region, Pomurska is saddled by structural problems, with the textile industry being hit particularly hard. The flagship of the garment industry not so long ago, Mura from Murska Sobota is struggling to keep afloat, and laying off workers is part of the restructuring. Nevertheless, the textile industry still employs about one quarter of the region’s workforce and thanks to skilled workers and talented fashion designers there are foreign investors who recognise value-for-money they get in the Pomurska Region. Other important sectors include service industries and building & construction employ 27.5% and 8%, respectively.

Appraisals of the region’s development potential reveal that Pomurska is not burdened by an outdated industrial structure. Existing enterprises and new investors can build their success on the highly educated workforce, as the number of students and other highly qualified people continues to rise.

Companies

The most important companies operating in the region include:

Panvita MIR d.d. (production and preserving of meat)
Radenska d.d. (production of soft drinks & mineral waters and other bottled waters)
Planika Turnišče d.o.o. (manufacture of footwear)
Nafta - petrochem d.o.o. (manufacture of other organic basic chemicals)
Arcont d.d. (manufacture of metal structures and parts of structures)
Elrad International d.o.o. (manufacture of consumer electronics)
Varstroj d.d. (manufacture of metal forming machinery)
SCT TKO d.o.o. (manufacture of special-purpose machinery)
SGP pomgrad - gradnje d.o.o. (construction of residential and non-residential buildings)
Reflex Gornja Radgona d.o.o. (building completion and finishing)
Varis Lendava d.d. (manufacture of concrete products for construction purposes)
Terme 3000 d.o.o. (baths and hotels)
Zdravilišče Radenci d.o.o. (spa and hotels)

Contacts:

For further information on investment opportunities, the business environment and incentives please turn to the contact point:

Regionalna Razvojna Agencija Mura

(Mura Regional Development Agency)

Lendavska 5a

9000 Murska Sobota

Slovenija

Tel: +386 2 536 14 61

Fax: +386 2 536 14 65

Email: feri.gonc[@]rra-mura.si