Skopje, 24 July 2023 (MIA) – The Government is expected to discuss the concession for the Ilovica-Shtuka mines at a session Tuesday. At the session, Minister of Economy Kreshnik Bekteshi is to report about all legal procedures initiated for the mines since 2012.

Deputy Prime Minister in charge of economic affairs Fatmir Bytyqi reiterated Monday that the decision of the citizens will be respected.

“We have a Government session tomorrow, at which the Economy Minister has been tasked with reporting on all judicial and other legal procedures undertaken for Ilovica since 2012. Once we hear all the information, we will know the next step. As a Government, we said that if the citizens say they don’t want the mine to be opened, we will act accordingly. I think they once had a referendum there, but only in Bosilovo, and we are ready to help all citizens of the region to voice their position at a referendum and say whether they want a mine or not,” said Bytyqi.

Asked if the Government is ready to pay penalties to the investor if the citizens oppose the mine, the Deputy PM said they don’t know all legal technicalities, because they still don’t know what the outcome will be.

On July 15 the citizens of the Strumica region held a protest against the opening of the Ilovica-Shtuka mine.

Regarding the Law on Solidarity Tax, which the economic chambers said they would contest at the Constitutional Court, the Deputy PM said the law in parliamentary procedure and if the Constitutional Court adopts a decision against the law, then the Government will comply with the decision.

“The law is in parliamentary procedure, and the Government is powerless since it is in parliamentary procedure. Contesting the law is a democratic right. If the law is contested at the Constitutional Court and there is a decision, then the Government will of course comply with that decision,” said Bytyqi.

Photo: MIA Archive