Skopje, 17 January 2025 (MIA) - The Parliament as part of its 30th session on Friday adopted under a fast-track procedure the Law on Amendments to the Law on Public Debt, with 60 votes in favor and nine votes against. According to SDSM MPs, the law is passed under a fast-track procedure only to meet the deadlines stipulated by the Hungarian loan but such laws require much greater debate. VMRO-DPMNE MPs, on the other hand, say that the Hungarian loan is an example of how a government that cares about its citizens reaches an agreement with another country.

Commenting on the law, SDSM MP Fatmir Bytyqi said today's session has become a space to pass amendments that are to remedy a series of institutional weaknesses, omissions and errors related to the implementation of the Hungarian loan. 

VMRO-DPMNE MP Bojan Stojanovski said the funds from the Hungarian loan will be used by the economy and companies, noting it is a lie that the public debt will be 75 percent.

SDSM MP Sanja Lukarevska said that such crucial, important laws should not be put into operation and in the interest of the current needs of the executive branch, adding that as a parliamentary group, they do not agree that such laws should be passed under a fast-track procedure, and require a debate that also includes the opinion of the Development Bank and other experts. 

In addition, the Parliament on Friday passed amendments to the Law on Tourism, Law on Construction Products, and the Law on Sanitary and Health Inspection. The Law on Amendments to the Law on the State Inspectorate for Energy, Mining and Mineral Resources was also adopted with 63 votes in favor, under a fast-track procedure.

With 63 votes in favor and two votes against, the Parliament adopted the Law on Amendments to the Law on Protection of Competition, and with 64 votes in favor and two votes against, it passed amendments to the Law on Foreign Exchange Operations, under a fast-track procedure.

The Parliament also passed amendments to the Law on State Market Inspectorate, Law on Labor Inspection, as well as the Law on the National Bank of the Republic of North Macedonia, under a fast-track procedure.

The public will be additionally informed on when the session will resume. 

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