Skopje, 18 November 2025 (MIA) – Parliament's Finance and Budget Committee is set to start discussion Tuesday on the 2026 draft-budget, in its second reading, reviewing over 200 submitted amendments.

During the general debate that ended on Monday, ruling party MPs said the proposed budget is realistic and development-focused, with measures aimed at boosting economic growth and effectively implementing projects and revenues. They said that the proposed budget, once implemented, will address citizens’ needs by allocating more funds for higher wages, pensions, new schools and kindergartens, infrastructure, digitalization, and capital investments.

Opposition MPs believe that the proposed budget is unrealistic, underdeveloped, and socially focused, and that it will not improve citizens’ living standards or public services. They also criticized it for increasing public debt and reducing capital investments.

Next year’s draft-budget projects total revenues of Mden 374.7 billion (€6.08 billion), expenditures of Mden 413.9 billion (€6.71 billion) and capital investments of Mden 40.5 billion (€650 million). Economic growth is projected at 3.8 percent, inflation at 2.5 percent and the budget deficit at 3.5 percent of GDP.

Photo: MIA archive