Skopje, 11 August 2024 (MIA) - The Parliament begins a three-day debate on Monday to discuss the budget revision among other proposed laws. The amended proposal for the 2024 Budget revision, now in its second reading, is set as the seventh item on the session’s agenda.

According to the Parliament's Rules of Procedure, the debate on the Draft of the Budget, i.e. the amended proposal for the Budget revision shall take a maximum of three (3) days. During the debate, a Member of the Assembly shall be entitled to speak a number of times in a total duration of up to 20 minutes, and the Co-ordinators of parliamentary groups of up to 30 minutes. A Government representative shall be entitled to speak a number of times in duration of not more than 30 minutes. 

The Budget revision has been approved following its general debate and amendment discussion in the Parliament’s Finances and Budget Committee. On August 6, the Government approved the revised budget, which allocates additional funds for wages and equipment across multiple institutions.

Minister of Finance Gordana Dimitrieska Kochoska said Tuesday funds have been provided for the payment of wages and wage increases in the public administration until the end of the year, in line with all signed collective agreements. 

Dimitrieska Kochoska told Tuesday's press conference that funds are provided for the public administration for everything that needs to be paid according to the law.

"The Budget revision, which is to be submitted to the Parliament for adoption, provides additional funds for several institutions including the State Election Commission (SEC), the Commission for the Protection of Competition, the Personal Data Protection Agency, the Ministry of Interior (MoI), the Council of Inspection Authorities, the Ministry of Education and Science, the Ministry of Transport and Communications, the Customs Administration, the judiciary, the Public Prosecutor's Office, the Ombudsman, the Council of Public Prosecutors, the Macedonian Academy of Sciences and Arts (MANU)... Funds are provided for the payment of wages, as well as for the procurement of equipment. Among other things, an amount of 350 million denars has been added to the State Election Commission, 147,000 denars for the procurement of equipment for the Council of Inspection Authorities, 60,000,000 denars for the Ministry of Interior for the procurement of materials for personal documents, 87.2 million for the further implementation of the Otinja Dam Project and an additional 20 million denars are intended for compensation for confiscated property for the Otinja Dam Project (expropriation), 18.7 million denars are provided for the Macedonian Academy of Sciences and Arts for scientific research projects and 3.3 million for the procurement of equipment, as well as 138,000 denars for additional realization for the procurement of equipment at the Ombudsman," said the Minister.

Elaborating on the Budget revision adopted by the Government, she pointed out that it secures over 4.1 billion denars for salaries, 5.1 billion denars for pensions, 800 million denars for recipients of guaranteed minimum assistance, 1.7 billion denars for health care protection, one billion for TIDZ, 1.7 billion for subsidies in agriculture, 437 million for student meal and 207 million for scholarships, as well as six billion denars for projects in municipalities.

Monday’s parliamentary session will include a total of 34 items on the agenda.

The session will cover proposed amendments and additions to laws related to culture, transportation, urban planning, forests, hunting, sports, which are set to be passed through expedited procedures. The agenda also includes proposal for spatial plan of National Park Pelister 2016-2030.

Additionally, Parliament will review the proposal to designate the Matka Canyon and Lake Ohrid as natural monuments and the Studenchishte Marsh as Nature Park.

Photo: MIA archive