Skopje, 12 August 2024 (MIA) - Finance Minister Gordana Dimitrieska-Kochoska told Sitel TV late Monday that the initial budget did not include the legally required provisions. The budget revision, however, not only covers these requirements but also addresses the servicing of many overdue obligations. She mentioned that there are funds available for salaries, pensions, and municipal needs.

Finance Minister believes that a linear increase of pensions is the best model, and that the minimum wage and its adjustments should be determined, as she said, properly and based on real data.

She repeated that Corridors 8 and 10 cannot be developed simultaneously. Corridor 8 might be feasible in two or three years, but it currently does not offer additional benefits for us. In contrast, Corridor 10 is crucial for the business sector, and the government’s responsibility and priority is to support companies in this regard.

Asked about "Bechtel and Enka," Dimitrieska-Kochoska replied that 250 million euros are allocated for the next year.

“Regarding the minimum wage and its increase, we need to approach the issue realistically. Personally, I would like to see wages increased for everyone. However, when addressing these matters, they need to be based on reality. We must work on accurately determining the minimum wage, which means focusing on greater productivity. Regarding pensions, those with the lowest pensions of 13,000 - 13,500 denars will receive the most benefit. We will implement a linear increase in September and March, after which we will return to the old methodology. If you ask me personally, I am in favor of a linear increase of pensions,” she noted.

Commenting on the debt, she emphasized that there is no longer a risk to the country's credit rating.

“The debt totals 181 million euros, resulting from additional obligations that were not previously reported,” Dimitrieska-Kochoska said.

She also referred to the law on increasing officials' salaries, which, she reminded, was enacted by the previous government. She proposed that a law be introduced to reduce officials' salaries, that everyone returns the money they have received so far from increased officials' salaries.

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