The fifth anti-crisis economic package amounts to a total of 9.7 billion denars (EUR 160 million) and contains 29 measures for the four main pillars, including direct financial aid for tourism companies, artisans, hospitality businesses, transport companies, and the event planning industry to protect jobs, to support liquidity of the private sector with no-interest loans, to improve the business environment by redefining the customs administration price list, to reduce parafiscal taxes, tax facilitation, and direct aid for the citizens, Prime Minister Zoran Zaev said Tuesday.

According to him, EUR 91.7 million will be set aside directly from the state budget.

“The government at today’s session closed the package for stable and developing Macedonian economy and to improve the liquidity of businesses. The package, which is directly connected with the previous four, aims at improving the economy to record a growth of 4-5 percent, to bounce back to the pre-pandemic growth,” Zaev told a news conference alongside Deputy PM for Economic Affairs Fatmir Bytyqi, Finance Minister Fatmir Besimi and Economy Minister Kreshnik Bekteshi.

The financial support should be used throughout 2021 in order to impact the economy.

The measures were designed through dialogue and partnership with all relevant stakeholders, namely chambers of commerce, employers and trade unions.

“The measures will wrap up the process of direct aid, which marks the start of the phase to exit the crisis and recover from it. It means we are back again in a period of stability and development, which is expected to be stimulated by these measures. The economy as a whole will be supported with low-interest loans and through systemic measures according to the development plan in the medium term and on the long run,” the PM said noting that GDP growth was expected to improve in the second quarter of 2021.