Skopje, 7 August 2025 (MIA) - The initiative launched by the National Bank to reduce payment service fees has started yielding its first results. Earlier this month, the three large banks and one mid-sized bank announced reductions in fees for both citizens and companies, Governor Trajko Slaveski said.

During the press conference on Thursday, Slaveski noted that other mid-sized and small banks are expected to do the same.

According to Slaveski, the reductions are particularly important for executing customer payments through the banks’ internal systems, as well as through payment systems where transactions are carried out between banks in real time during the day.

“Banks are increasingly staring to offer free payments initiated through electronic and mobile banking and processed within their internal systems. We are seeing a downward adjustment in fee amounts at one of the banks, including for cash withdrawals at bank counters, as well as for other services related to cash payments, document copies, and certificate issuance,” the Governor stated.

He stated that 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 changes will also allow overdraft facilities, which are currently unavailable, and citizens will no longer need to close their other denar accounts to use a basic payment account. 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.

Photo: MIA