Skopje, 13 October 2022 (MIA) – Workers and unions should be calm, no one will cut their wages or rights, said Prime Minister Dimitar Kovachevski following the outcry of unions to the Government’s Fiscal Consolidation Plan aimed to lower expenses of public institutions. “Our aim is not to cut wages. This is a plan for fiscal sustainability that includes series of measures aimed to consolidate the expenses and improve the quality of services provided to citizens. The plan is a document that contains measures and recommendations for rationalization of expenditures and improvement of revenues, thus maintaining macroeconomic stability amid the energy and price crisis,” PM Kovachevski told a press conference. Kovachevski said the consolidation of expenditures in state institutions, including of public enterprises and state-owned joint-stock associations, does not mean wages will be reduced. “This means rationalization and optimization of employees based on a functional analysis, because any manager should know how to manage the resources at disposal. Cutting costs cuts expenses related to employees,” added the PM. He urged managers of institutions, public enterprises and state-owned joint-stock associations to set up a system of employee rotations, improve control of overtime work etc. “There are many tools, instruments and practices that managers can use, but this does not mean that someone can come and say that employees will receive lower wages. Our goal is that everyone gets a higher wage but also to increase efficiency, for example through interventions in the field of contractual services,” said Kovachevski. He also said the revenue side of institutions is also important, namely if invoices are realized in a swift and efficient way. “All of these aspects are to be tackled by a manager on a daily basis. If not, then the person is not fit for a manager,” underlined Kovachevski.