Skopje, 16 September 2022 (MIA) – North Macedonia’s delegation led by Finance Minister Fatmir Besimi and National Bank Governor Anita Angelovska Bezhoska held Friday a meeting with the World Bank Vice President for Europe and Central Asia Anna Bjerde, the World Bank Country Director for the Western Balkans Xiaoqing Yu and the World Bank Executive Director of the Constituency Koen Davidse. The participants in the meeting discussed the World Bank Country Partnership Framework 2019-2023 for North Macedonia, under which projects have been implemented. World Bank’s active portfolio in the country consists of nine projects amounting to US$480 million and additional US$80 million are expected from the World Bank to support the Integrated Financial Management Information System (IFMIS) after the Organic Budget Law enactment. The meeting was held at the sidelines of the IMF and the World Bank Group Constituency meeting in Sarajevo. Finance Minister Besimi during the meeting said that the new Organic Budget Law, which is a systemic law for the reform of public finances, was adopted by the Parliament. Hence, IFMIS as an integrated system for collection of taxes, which will generally monitor the implementation from collection to expenses, and which is part of the reform law, is of exceptional importance. Additional funds are expected from the World Bank to support the IFMIS, which is of significant importance to implement the law. The meeting also discussed the new Project for the Sustainable Development of Municipalities, which is being prepared by the Ministry of Finance and the World Bank and which is a continuation of the Municipal Services Improvement Project (MSIP). It is estimated at around US$50 million and is already foreseen in the current World Bank Country Partnership Framework, the Ministry of Finance said in a press release. The current World Bank Country Partnership Framework ends in the middle of next year. Therefore, at the beginning of 2023, the activities will begin for developing of a new one, under which, funds will be provided for new essential projects in the country. At the meeting, it was requested the World Bank to conduct Systemic Country Diagnostic, because this document is an excellent overview that allows a detailed insight in which areas systematic measures are needed, the Ministry of Finance said.