Skopje, 1 August 2024 (MIA) - The Prosecutor's Office and the judiciary have not had their funds cut. There is only a reduction in the part on new employments, because employments have not been made in the way they have been budgeted, the Ministry of Finance said. 

The Ministry noted that the funds intended for new employments in the judiciary and the prosecution have remained unrealized, after which they repurposed the funds for wages. 

At a press briefing on Thursday, Minister of Finance Gordana Dimitrieska Kochoska said only the section on employments has been cut, because the past period has shown that money was allocated from the Budget for this, but no new personnel were employed.

"Both the prosecution and the judiciary are entitled to 35 percent risk allowances. It does not mean that they should get it, but they have the right to do so in certain such situations. Under their wages item, they constantly include new employments. They don't employ anyone, it only happens from time to time, and then they repurpose their funds, but there are no new employments anywhere," said Finance Minister Gordana Dimitrieska Kochoska. 

As regards the remarks from the prosecution and the judiciary that their budgets should amount to a certain percentage of the Republic Budget, the Ministry of Finance says that the level of budgeting in these two areas meets the percentage that other countries have, but the percentage of efficiency is low and trust in the judiciary is at a low two percent.

"First they should answer why the judgments from the European Court of Human Rights are increasing, whereby we started paying huge sums because they have not acted on time," said the Finance Ministry.  

The Prosecutor's Office, adds the Ministry, has not even submitted an annual employment plan for 2024. 

Remarks on the budget revision were made by the Judicial Budget Council and the State Public Prosecutor's Office, whose representatives Silvija Janevska and Ljubomir Kocevski pointed out on the first day of the Budget revision debate that there should be no cuts to the funds allocated for the judiciary and the prosecution, as this would affect their autonomy, quality, and efficiency of justice.

With the Budget revision, the Minister said, funds have also been provided for the public calls issued by the Ministry of Economy on purchase of inverter air conditioners.

Photo: MIA archive