Skopje, 7 October 2021 (MIA) – Finance Minister Fatmir Besimi has kicked off activities as part of the International Monetary Fund (IMF)/World Bank Autumn Meetings, which is taking place online due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Joined by Ministry officials, Besimi held a meeting with officials of the IMF Fiscal Affairs Department (FAD), said the Finance Ministry on Thursday. During the meeting, the technical assistance provided to the Finance Ministry and the efforts made to implement key reforms in public finance management were underscored. “FAD is one of our most active and most credible partners and providers of expertise in key reforms in public finance management. So far, it has provided technical assistance in various areas of public finance management,” Besimi said at the meeting. Technical assistance is key to improve planning, improve budget presentation, budgeting of projects, designing of indicators and establish system to always double-check expenditures. Launched in September 2021, the process to prepare the new public finance management program should be completed by the end of December. One of the Finance Ministry’s top priorities is to implement the Integrated Financial Management Information System (IFMIS) with funds provided by the World Bank and the EU, said the press release. Talks at the meeting also involved fiscal decentralization reform and the plan on financing economic recovery and accelerating growth from 2022 until 2026, aimed at increasing growth and recording average growth rate over 5 percent, fiscal consolidation and increasing investments. “The government is committed to progress in implementing the Western Balkans Economic and Investment Plan in order to provide support to stimulate long-term recovery and support of reforms, to stimulate economic recovery and convergence as well as regional integration within the region and into the European Union,” it was noted. Finance Minister Besimi together with National Bank Governor Anita Angelovska-Bezhoska lead the country’s delegation at the IMF/World Bank Autumn Meetings, which will hold several meetings with high-level officials of the institutions.