Skopje, 10 April 2023 (MIA) – At Parliament’s 112th session on Monday, MPs voted in favor of the need to adopt the draft-law amending and supplementing the Law on Construction in a fast-track procedure, proposed by MPs from the ruling majority. Parliament Speaker Talat Xhaferi instructed the parliamentary Committee on Transport, Communications and Environment, and the Legislative Committee to discuss the draft-law.

DUI party whip and one of the MPs who proposed the draft-law, Arber Ademi, said that the draft-law will enable an efficient construction of Corridor VIII (motorway section: Tetovo-Gostivar-Bukojchani and the Trebenishta-Struga-Kjafasan) and Corridor X-d (Prilep-Bitola section).

“The principles upon which the law is based are thriftiness and efficiency of the procedure. The basic legislation aims to specify the design, revision, construction, supervision, and opening of the motorway sections. Since this is not a complex law, we propose that the draft-law be adopted in a fast-track procedure,” said Ademi.

VMRO-DPMNE party whip, Nikola Micevski, said that VMRO-DPMNE’s parliamentary group urges the withdrawal of the laws, and calls for a public debate to be held on this issue. He called the MPs from the ruling majority not to vote in favor of the need to adopt the draft-law.

“This agreement will have huge financial implications on the budget. The amendments of the Law on Cultural Heritage, Law on Minerals and the Law on Forests violate the amendment of the Constitution, and grant uncontrolled, exclusive rights to the contractor without thinking of the consequences that this can cause. Additionally, VAT is being scrapped for the contractor and this will affect the financial structure of the project,” said Micevski.

Jovan Mitreski, the SDSM party whip, said the sole goal of the opposition’s actions in Parliament is to harm the reputation of the country’s largest infrastructure project in the last 70 years.

“But, the decision of the opposition is their decision. We aren’t running away from debate, nor do we want to adopt something quickly. We just see the issues that have happened on the ground during previous infrastructure projects,” said Mitreski.

DOM MP Maja Morachanin said there is no question that the infrastructure project is important for the citizens and the country, but asked that the amendments are withdrawn from the agenda.

“These amendments, which have been submitted in a fast-track procedure and which really cover various areas of the legislation and the practical functioning of the state, grant too many privileges to the contractors on the project. The least we can do is vote against the agenda and the amendments today, and if there is a need, submit the amendments in a regular procedure,” said Morachanin.

Photo: MIA Archive