Skopje, 31 August 2023 (MIA) – Deputy Prime Minister in charge of economic affairs Fatmir Bytyqi met Thursday with a delegation from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) led by Fritz Bachmair, who held meetings with several institutions in the field of budget spending.

According to a government press release, the goal of the visit was to hear about the state of budget spending first-hand, more specifically about the so-called spending reviews, ahead of the IMF field mission in Skopje expected in September.  

Bachmair informed Deputy PM Bytyqi that the IMF has already worked with several countries on the implementation of budget spending as a tool for the improvement of the Government’s services through targeted and transparent use of public funds.

Deputy PM Bytyqi voiced gratitude for the IMF’s interest in the institutionalization of this function in the country. He informed the IMF delegation that North Macedonia has been working on drafting a National Development Strategy for three years, which is expected to be adopted by Parliament soon, as a result of which, through the spending review as a tool, each ministry will transparently use budget funds according to previously established spending priorities.

Bytyqi, according to the press release, said the IMF support in budget spending is very important, since transparent spending of budget funds represents a strategic priority for the Government.

Photo: Government