Skopje, 19 March 2026 (MIA) - Minister of Finance Gordana Dimitrieska Kochoska said Thursday the crisis has resulted in no impact or price transmission so far, noting that the situation is being closely monitored in line with the law and appropriate response will be implemented as oil prices shift. 

In an interview with the national broadcaster, Dimitrieska Kochoska said that if the crisis escalates, reorganization will be made but the priority will always be timely payment of wages, pensions, social assistance, and all that is important to protect the standard of living of citizens.

According to her, there is no shortage of oil and oil derivatives in the country, nor are there significant price shocks as a direct consequence of the crisis.

"Currently in our country there is no shortage of oil and oil derivatives. Fuel supply runs smoothly, which means that there is no basis for introducing restrictions of that type. In terms of prices, they are still lower compared to parts of the region, which is particularly important for the standard of citizens. Therefore, we cannot simply take the measures of other countries, without taking into account our real situation," said the Minister. 

Amid an increased global uncertainty, caused by developments in the Middle East, the Minister noted that the unpredictability of the crisis is a key challenge, given that not even European countries can provide a reliable estimate of its duration.

The Government, she pointed out, will certainly respond and take appropriate measures.

"We are keeping a close watch on the situation. The most important thing is that the standard of living of citizens is not disrupted. So far, we have not had any serious disruptions or any impacts. Information on the ground says we have an increase in the price of cooking oil, and this is not related to the crisis, but to the stock market price of raw materials for its production and for eggs, again related to raw materials," Dimitrieska Kochoska said.

As regards opposition SDSM's announcements over proposing bills to deal with the crisis, she said she "would not like to comment, because we had elections more than a year and a half ago and if they were good and provided good measures in 2022, they would have been winners in 2024 , not losers." In 2022, she stated, the current opposition created food inflation in the country of over 20 percent, and for certain products even over 30 percent. Currently, except for two products, we have no increase in other areas, said the Minister of Finance, noting that the meeting with the traders has concluded that so far there has been no serious pressure to change the final prices.

Asked what the red line is for the Government to decide to create measures, she reiterated that the situation is being closely monitored noting that the Ministry of Finance has clear measures ready for any necessary action. She stressed that priorities will be set if the crisis escalates.   

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