Skopje, 26 May 2023 (MIA) — The government will likely reintroduce a cheaper electricity rate during off-peak daytime hours as of July 1 and raise the electricity VAT back to 18 percent, according to Deputy Prime Minister in charge of Economic Affairs Fatmir Bytyqi in a TV appearance Friday.

"Our final analyses on the feasibility of reintroducing the cheap rate are under way. It will be most likely reintroduced July 1," Deputy PM Bytyqi said in Telma TV's morning show.

He said the Energy Regulatory Commission, which sets the electricity prices, was expected to make the final decision at the end of June.

Bytyqi added that the electricity value added tax, now at 10 percent, would climb back to 18 percent.

He also said the government was drafting a National Development Strategy focused on building the country's capacities for tackling future challenges.

According to Bytyqi, the National Development Strategy would determine the country's development path in the next 20 years. He said extensive consultations were being done to reach "intergenerational, interethnic, interparty and gender consensus between key stakeholders."

He said 28 national experts had worked on mapping 25 areas of interest and over 30 workshops were held with some 3,000 participants, including members of the business community, civil society, public sector, young people, as well as political party members across the spectrum.

"This is the only way to show that we love our homeland," Bytyqi said, adding that the future of the country needed to be created through cooperation.

However, he said, it was impossible to reach a quick consensus so the government had decided to develop the National Development Strategy gradually. mr/