Skopje, 6 August 2023 (MIA) – Ministry of Finance is making analyses for the budget revision to secure funds for the higher wages of public sector employees followed by the signing of the general collective agreement, Prime Minister Dimitar Kovachevski said in an interview with MIA.

“These funds are planned to be covered by the budget revision, which is being analysed in the Ministry of Finance. After the analyses are completed, the revision will be finalized and presented to the public,” Kovachevski noted.

According to the general collective agreement, signed on July 18, as of September, 130,000 public sector employees will receive a 10 percent wage increase and annual leave allowance in the amount of Mden 10,000 by the end of the year. The general collective agreement includes a provision for the annual leave allowance as of 2024 to be at least 30 percent of the amount of the average wage.

“The government has succeeded in what had been unattainable until now, and managed to turn a new page in history by jointly reaching a sustainable solution for public sector wages for the first time in 15 years at the same table with the unions and all stakeholders. Together with the trade unions, we reached a systemic solution for the growth of wages and pensions, which will not depend on the will of any political party, both now and in the future,” Kovachevski added.

Regarding inflation, he expected the decreasing trend to continue until the end of the year and to maintain the single-digit level, and next year to be around 2 percent.

“Parallel to this, wages will also grow, such as the minimum, the average, pensions and wages in the public sector,” Kovachevski added.

Comparing the economic parameters now and during the time of the previous government, Kovachevski noted that the net wage was increased by 9.2% in the period 2011-2017, while it was increased by 59.3% in the period from 2017-2023.

Photo: MIA archive