Skopje, 15 May 2023 (MIA) - Minister of Finance Fatmir Besimi believes now is not the best time to increase public sector salaries as there will be implications for inflation, and recommends its implementation from 2024. According to him, salaries in the public sector should rise if productivity does so as well, and salaries in the real sector increase.

"Harmonizing salaries within the Economic and Social Council will take longer, and the methodology for increasing salaries can be adopted faster," Minister Besimi told reporters on Monday.

Recently, the Constitutional Court repealed provisions of the law on salary that allowed state officials to have them increased by 78 percent. In addition to state officials, the salary increase is also valid for MPs, mayors, judges and other elected officials.

Beshimi also confirmed that he was paid a 78-percent higher salary in April, saying his previous salary was Mden 71,145 and that he was now paid Mden 125,960.

The Minister added that 1,060 officials are being paid an increased salary of 78 percent, and that an additional Mden 960 million will be spent from the Budget by the end of the year.

"It is good that the Constitutional Court repealed the 2012 disputed article on wage coefficients instead of annulling it. Had it been annulled, officials would have had to be paid an outstanding debt with interest of almost 11 years," said Beshimi. ssh/ik/

(1 EUR = 61.5 Mden) 

Photo: MIA