Skopje, 10 February 2023 (MIA) - Economy Minister Kreshnik Bekteshi said Friday he does not expect a rise of the electricity price on July 1. Analyses are being made and one of the possible measures is extension of the 10-percent VAT in the electricity bills instead of 18 percent.

"Analyses are made in coordination with the Energy Regulatory Commission, faculties and other experts on changing the way in which the electricity price is calculated, in line with the capacities we will have at disposal in May and June. I am certain the decisions will focus on protecting the people's living standard and supporting the competitiveness of small and medium enterprises. Therefore, we do not expect an increase of the electricity price on July 1, having in mind the existing data and projections. On the contrary, we expect an additional price reduction," Minister Bekteshi told reporters.

According to him, the 10-percent VAT measure could be extended so that the electricity price drops, considering the production of Power Plants of North Macedonia (ESM) and market price trends.