Skopje, 7 August 2025 (MIA) - The National Bank will propose amendments to the law regulating basic payment accounts, aiming to make them more widely accessible for citizens to use across all banks.

The proposed changes are aimed at eliminating certain current limitations and considerably expanding the services available through the basic payment account: permitted overdrafts, the option to hold a basic account alongside other accounts, and a broader package of free or low-fee services, including interbank e-transfers, debit card issuance, and four monthly ATM withdrawals of up to Mden 2,000 from other banks.

As Governor Trajko Slaveski said Thursday, this set also includes other services that citizens have already been able to use, such as deposits and cash withdrawals at ATMs and bank counters, the use of electronic and mobile banking, as well as card payments in stores and online.

“The National Bank proposes that the cost of services available through the basic payment account be linked to the amount of the minimum gross wage and set at no more than 0.1% of it, which based on the current minimum gross wage for 2025, would amount to Mden 36 per month. For citizens from vulnerable categories, these services would be free of charge,” Slaveski added.

The National Bank will work with the banks to establish a national ATM network to improve access to cash across the country. This initiative, the Governor noted, is expected to be realised by the end of 2026 at the latest.

“In addition, the National Bank will propose a tailored package for micro-traders, mainly family businesses with limited resources, to encourage financial inclusion and payment digitalization. It is expected that more favorable conditions for using payment services will be available to citizens and micro-traders after the adoption of the legal amendments, i.e., from the beginning of 2026,” Slaveski said.

Photo: MIA