Skopje, 17 February 2022 (MIA) – The Government is listening to the unions’ demands for an increase of salaries in the public administration through alignment with the minimum wage, as well as the one for higher pensions, and a sustainable solution will emerge through dialogue with all stakeholders, says Finance Minister Fatmir Besimi. “Discussions with unions on this matter is an ongoing process. We held talks on the minimum wage and reached a solution that will be implemented both for employees in the private sector and public administration. We will sit down over the coming period to see the possibilities at disposal but the issue must be looked at from a realistic standpoint and from the aspect of productivity. As of now, I cannot say whether an increase will happen or not,” Minister Besimi told Telma TV. According to him, the solution must be sustainable, both with regards to the salaries and the pensions. “We are working on various scenarios. Analyses are made on changing the methodology for the pensions, which requires improvement of the economy’s productivity,” says Besimi. The FinMin notes that prices are expected to stabilize in the second quarter, adding that inflation is currently projected at 2.4 percent but could be higher depending on the price trends.