Christian Mickoski: Alarming Budget Situation
Prime Minister Christian Mickoski stated that the budget situation is alarming and there is a lack of funds, which investigative authorities will have to deal with in the coming period. He assured that there will be money for the promised pension increase. Speaking on the central news program on TV Sitel, Mickoski mentioned that National Forests, where employees have not been paid for four months, need between 250 and 300 million denars, while Water Supply needs between 60 and 100 million denars. Additionally, farmers are lacking 3.7 billion denars.
The Budget Scandal
Over the past six months, it has come to light that a significant amount of government funds have been mismanaged, leaving the new administration with a massive financial burden. Billions of dollars were left unaccounted for, as previous officials attempted to cover up their misdeeds by creating more problems for the incoming government. There were legal obligations that were overlooked in the budget, leading to a cascade of financial discrepancies.
Leader of the opposition, Mr. Mickoski, has stated that there will be extensive investigations into the matter in the coming months. He estimates that over a billion and 200 thousand denari will need to be paid out in fines due to the misallocation of funds by certain ministers in various government institutions.
Challenges in Building Highway Sections
Regarding the construction of highway sections for which the previous government signed a contract with “Bechtel and Enka”, the current administration stated that the cost is around four to five billion. However, there are still unresolved property and legal issues, despite the government committing to resolve them by the middle of last year.
Government Commitments
The state took on the obligation to open the worksite for the construction company by the middle of last year. From the middle of last year until now, we are facing penalties that we will have to pay to the contractor if we do not fulfill our commitment.
North Macedonia secures 500 million euro loan from Hungary
North Macedonia has recently secured a 500 million euro loan from Hungary, with Prime Minister Mickoski stating that this was the best offer at the moment. The loan, which will not affect the country’s relationship with international financial institutions, will require a monthly payment of around 3 million euros.
Mickoski also mentioned that they are open to discussions with any financial institution that can provide better terms. Despite the opposition’s lack of acknowledgment, Mickoski expressed his disappointment, stating that their reaction resembled more of a tragic comedy than a serious response.
Investments and Salaries
It is equally tragic that these investments announced by Mickoski, we worked on them, but we failed to implement them, so Mickoski and his colleagues had to come and do it. Money has no color, nor national affiliation. If other countries offer better conditions, we will take them from there, said Mickoski. As for the salaries of officials, which were increased by 78% by a decision of the Constitutional Court, Mickoski said that the problem should be solved systemically.