The new draft government budget is about 3.9 billion euros. Who will receive funds from the budget and how much, and on what basis the money will be spent, is the topic of today’s episode of SCAN.

Prime Minister Zoran Zaev stressed that this budget will satisfy all branches in society, while Minister of Finance, Nina Angelovska, claims that we will have the lowest interest rates on debt repayment.

Finance analyst and one of the first finance ministers in Macedonia, Dzevdet Hajredini, says that we are the only country that gives money out of the budget to party militants jut to satisfy the needs of the coalition partner. He emphasizes that we have been constantly having early elections since 1998, and that focus is being put on satisfying social elements, as they bring more votes…

Former Advisor in the Ministry of Finance, Professor Branimir Jovanovic, in regards to the 2020 draft budget, says that with the termination of the progressive tax, the state will lose about 40 million euros, and will have to indebt itself to supplement the budget… He considers that the increase of pensions is the last segment the government needs to implement, as there are other issues of greater priority.

The Government has submitted the draft budget for 2020 to the Parliament, with the debate being carried out in the parliamentary Committee on Finance and Budget. Around 350 amendments have been submitted, of which 314 are from the opposition VMRO-DPMNE. Following the debate, it is expected for the draft budget to be adopted at a plenary session.

Dehran Muratov
Editing: Arian Mehmeti
Associated: Xhabir Deralla, Maja Ivanovska, Biljana Jordanovska, Atanas Petrovski, Diana Tahiri, Angela Petrovska and Goran Naumovski

Translation: Natasa Cvetkovska