Skopje, 6 December 2021 (MIA) – Minister of Finance Fatmir Besimi on Monday handed over the amended 2022 draft-budget to Parliament Speaker Talat Xhaferi. The bill should be adopted at a plenary session by December 31 the latest.

The draft-budget contains the amendments backed debates at Parliament committees. The endorsed amendments total to MKD 382 million, estimated as one of the biggest changes made during debates on the amendments, which confirms the inclusivity of the budget adoption process and our country’s democratic capabilities, the Finance Ministry said in a press release.

Besimi said that he expects the debate to continue in this spirit at the plenary session and for the 2022 Budget to be adopted with the highest degree of support.

The Budget’s primary goals is continuation of public health protection, economic recovery and growth acceleration, increase in investments through fiscal consolidation, as well as backing up reform processes in the judiciary and the Euro-Atlantic integration process, and uninterrupted financing of the country’s basic functions.

The Ministry of Finance puts the Budget’s biggest focus on investments, so that capital expenses are planned at an all-time high of MKD 38.2 billion, 14% of overall expenses, which represents a 28.3% increase in comparison to 2021. There will be a cut of unproductive expenses.

“The Budget has been designed according to the golden rule of public finance, meaning that the deficit is smaller than the expenses, which means that the debts will be related only to capital expenses, and the funds will be aimed towards the projects which have the biggest effects. This will inspire an investment cycle which will contribute to a faster economic growth,” the Ministry of Finance said.

The amended 2022 draft-budget plans expenses amounting to MKD 272.4 billion, which is a 1.4% growth in comparison to 2021, and they represent 35.2% of the GDP. The expenses are planned at MKD 238.9 billion, 7.4% higher than 2021. The budget deficit is planned at a level of MKD 33.5 billion, 4.3% of the GDP. dk/ba/