Skopje, 16 February 2023 (MIA) - A meeting was held Thursday between Minister of Finance Fatmir Besimi, Deputy PM for European Affairs Bojan Marichikj, ministers from multiple sectors and representatives of the European Commission at the Ministry of Finance.

This meeting falls within the framework of the financial and economic dialogue with the EU, wherein the Program for Economic Reforms is being prepared and joint conclusions are being brought in the EU Council in May each year.

This country has been continuously implementing this process for the past 9 years, which has been determining measures and recommendations to fulfil priorities, coordinated by the Ministry of Finance. 

"The goal of this meeting, and the dialogue itself, is to reach joint proposals for recommendations that will help fulfil our country's priorities of increasing economic growth in 2023. This discussion will be an important step in the preparation of this year's Economic and Financial Dialogue between the EU and the Western Balkans in Turkiye, where the new guidelines for the country will be adopted jointly in May 2023," according to the Ministry of Finance. 

At the start of February, the Government adopted the 2023-2025 Economic Reform Program, the ninth in a row, which includes the key sectoral structural reforms that need work in the upcoming 2 years in order to increase competitiveness and economic growth.

"It's a continuous process implemented alongside the EU, coordinated by the Ministry of Finance in this country. The Financial and Economic Dialogue has prepared the Economic Reforms Program, which includes a middle-term macroeconomic and fiscal framework, as well as 19 key sectoral structural reforms to increase competitiveness and the growth of the economy. It was made and is compatible with the Government’s 2020-2024 Work Program, the Revised Fiscal Strategy for 2023-2025 (with prospects until 2027), the 2023-2025 Revised Strategy for Public Debt Management (with prospects until 2027) and the 2023 Budget of the Republic of North Macedonia, as well as other national strategic documents, which shows our determination to be included in the European family," Minister Besimi said.

He added that the fiscal support to protect the citizens' living standard and company liquidity will continue due to the crisis.

"We will continue the process of fiscal consolidation and reduction of the budget deficit, by simultaneously motivating investments in order to support growth. The implementation of the new Budget Law, as a significant reform in public finance, the implementation of the reform packet in tax policy - a modern tax system based on fairness, efficiency  and digitization of the processes, the fight against the informal economy etc," Besimi said.

The Minister expressed gratitude for the support from the EU, expressed through an EUR 80 million grant and macrofinancial support of EUR 100 million.

The EC representatives talked about the implementation of the joint conclusions from Program for Economic Reforms in the section of structural policies in the area of green transition, digital transformation, the improvement of the business environment and the reduction of the informal economy. dk/sk/