Skopje, 20 December 2024 (MIA) – The 2025 budget of the Ministry of Social Policy, Demography and Youth stands at Mden 68.15 billion, i.e. six percent higher compared to this year. Most of the funds will be allocated for the payment of pension and disability insurance rights, increase of pensions, as well as for investments and payments for social and child protection, Minister Fatmir Limani and Deputy Minister Gjoko Velkovski told a press conference on Friday presenting the Ministry's budget for 2025. 

"The draft budget for 2025 provides for Mden 47.8 billion, or about EUR 700 million, for the payment of pensions, which is an increase of Mden 8 billion compared to 2024. We also care about citizens who are at social risk, and for 2025 we have provided Mden 14.5 billion for the payment of social and child protection rights, including refugees and asylum seekers, which is about Mden 100 million more than the 2024 budget and the amount for certain rights has increased with the increase in the cost of living. We have provided Mden 275.3 million, or about EUR 4 million, for the completion or start of investments, construction and equipping of new kindergartens, retirement and nursing homes and other social protection facilities, as well as for the transfer of funds to municipalities for capital investments," Minister Limani said. 

The capital investments for child protection cover 16 facilities in the municipalities of Chair, Mogila, Debar, Gevgelija, Karbinci, Delchevo, Prilep, Gazi Baba, Valandovo, Zhelino, Butel, Gjorche Petrov, Aerodrom, Kisela Voda and Tearce. By the end of the year, funds will be invested in 25 kindergartens, as well as in nine social protection facilities.

"The Ministry is open to new applications from municipalities for the construction, reconstruction, adaptation and equipping of social and child protection facilities. Municipalities are additionally encouraged to apply in the next public call for funding infrastructure projects from the sub-program AA - Infrastructure projects in municipalities. For the next year, the budget provides an additional Mden 300 million, or about EUR 4 million, for block grants to municipalities for the smooth functioning of the existing capacities of kindergartens and social protection facilities, retirement and nursing homes, as well as for new capacities for the care and upbringing of children in kindergartens. For this purpose, the budget includes Mden 3.6 billion, or about EUR 50 million. Next year's budget of the Ministry includes EUR 6.5 million for projects financed with loans from the World Bank, for the activities within a project on improving social services, a second project on improving social services and a project on social insurance administration," Minister Limani added. 

Deputy Minister Gjoko Velkovski announced two key reforms that the Ministry will implement next year, which are to ensure greater transparency, accountability and fairness in social protection.

"The first reform is digitization of social services and the establishment of a unified social insurance system is underway for all relevant institutions such as the Public Revenue Office, the Pension and Disability Insurance Fund, the Employment Agency and the Social Work Centres. This system is a software solution in cooperation with the World Bank and will automatically detect abuses in the payment of social assistance. This digital system will provide full insight into the data and prevent the recurrence of such irregularities, and will unify data for all insured persons in order to ensure efficiency and transparency. The development of the software that will unite all social rights and services is also near completion, while social work centres will be equipped with the necessary IT equipment for their normal functioning. The second reform of the social system is the implementation of a payment card for social assistance beneficiaries, which will allow them to use over 50 percent of the funds exclusively for the purchase of Macedonian products. With this measure, we will not only stimulate the domestic economy, but also ensure responsible management of public resources," said Deputy Minister Velkovski. 

Photo: MIA