Skopje, 12 April 2023 (MIA) - The implementation of the public projects in the sphere of road and railway infrastructure, energy, as well as environmental protection is the key priority of the government and the Ministry of Finance.

For this purpose, €800 million have been projected for capital expenditures in the Budget for this year, which are almost twice as much as compared to the previous year, and several projects have been started, for which funds are provided from international financial creditors, Finance Minister Fatmir Besimi said.

Minister Besimi held a meeting in Washington with Reta Jo Lewis, President and Chair of the Board of Directors of the Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM), which was also attended by EXIM’s Deputy Vice President Rita Murrell and Ufo Eric-Atuanya Senior Vice President of Global Business Development at EXIM, and discussed the possibilities of securing funds for the projects the state is working on.

“We are talking about strategic infrastructure projects, which are being implemented over several years and which will be a significant driver of the economy and will contribute to the country’s economic development, which is striving to become a member of the EU. A significant investment cycle of projects are planned not only in road and railway infrastructure, but also in health, education, digitalization and innovation, green investments. In addition to the funds provided by the Budget, we expect by implementing the adopted Government’s Economic Growth Acceleration Plan to encourage private investments, which together are estimated at around €12 billion,” Besimi said, according to the press release of the Ministry of Finance.

He referred to specific projects that are being worked on in the country and their financial aspects as well as to the supporters of those projects, such as the World Bank, EBRD, EIB, KfW Development Bank, UNDP, EU funds, etc. Besimi also said that the portfolio of public projects, implemented in cooperation with international financial institutions, in the next seven-year period, is estimated at around €7 billion.

During his working visit, Finance Minister Fatmir Besimi will hold meetings at the US Department of the Treasury and will take part in the WB and IMF Spring Meetings, taking place in Washington.

Photo: Ministry of Finance