Skopje, 8 March 2023 (MIA) - Finance Minister Fatmir Besimi met Wednesday with Director for the Western Balkans at the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Neighborhood and Enlargement Negotiations, Michela Matuella, and EU Ambassador David Geer, saying the country has been leading sustainable and consistent macroeconomic and fiscal policies.

 

"We have been implementing reforms that are part of our European agenda and fighting the challenges imposed by the COVID-19 crisis, the energy and economic crisis in parallel. EU and the United States have provided significant support in the realization of the reform agenda, something that we highly value," said Minister Besimi.

 

He added that the Ministry of Finance has implemented a significant reform in the public finance management, thus changing traditional budgeting with result-based budgeting.

 

"A key aspect in the implementation of this reform is the new law on budgets, which sets the fiscal rules that lead to increased responsibility about the way funds are spent. We remain committed to fiscal consolidation and support of the domestic economy through changes in the budget structure and focusing on the implementation of capital projects, with the aim of accelerated economic growth," said Besimi.

 

The FinMin also referred to the Government's anti-crisis measures during the covid-crisis and the subsequent energy crisis, thanking the EU for its financial support in those efforts.

 

"In 2020, the EU provided an EUR 40 million grant for the covid-crisis management and we are now expecting the first tranche of EUR 72 million of the grant aimed to manage the energy and economic crisis. In addition, the EU is expected to provide EUR 100 million in macro-finance support under favorable conditions," added Besimi.

 

Interlocutors discussed North Macedonia's progress on the Euro-integration path and the ongoing screening process, as well as the significance of the institutional capacities for its implementation and strengthening of human capacities, the Ministry of Finance said in a press release.