Skopje, 12 September 2024 (MIA) - A session of Parliament’s Finances and Budget Committee has been scheduled for Friday with the expedited draft-law on the EUR 500 million loan from Hungary on the agenda.

The session, according to a post on Parliament’s website, has been scheduled by Parliament Speaker Afrim Gashi after the chair of the Committee, Sanja Lukarevska, refused to schedule it. MP Bojan Stojanoski will chair the Committee’s session on Friday.

“In accordance with article 126, paragraph 3 of the Rules of Procedure of the Parliament of the Republic of North Macedonia, the fourth session of the Finances and Budget Committee will be chaired by MP Bojan Stojanoski. In case the member of the Committee is prevented from attending the session, it is necessary to notify the Speaker of the Parliament of the Republic of North Macedonia and the chair of this session of the Committee and determine a deputy from the deputy members of the Committee,” the post said.

Earlier on Thursday, opposition party SDSM demanded that the draft-law on the loan from Hungary undergoes regular and not expedited procedure, including a debate with experts in the field, noting that the law is corrupt and puts the country into crediting and political dependency.

SDSM leader Venko Filipche demanded at a press conference on Thursday that the law undergoes regular procedure, including a public debate in line with the Rules of Procedures.

"In circumstances when the state is taking a loan directly from another country, when there are no clear criteria and facilities for distribution of the funds, when there is no clear system to control their spending, when there are no clear safeguard provisions in the law, when the law includes provisions that hide costs, then discussing this law in an expedited procedure is unacceptable," said Filipche. 

Photo: MIA Archive