16^th February 2021, Skopje – The fifth set includes total of 29 measures, amounting to Denar 9.7 billion or around EUR 160 million, EUR 91.7 million out of which are budget funds.

The respective measures are systematized in 4 main pillars:

1. Direct financial support for companies aimed at keeping the jobs of citizens in the sectors tourism, craftsmanship, hospitality industry, transport, and event planning industry;
2. Financial support for liquidity of the private sector with interest-free loans aimed at keeping and increasing the number of workers;
3. Creating favorable business environment by systemic redefining of the Customs Tariff, reduction of parafiscal charges and tax relief and postponement of payment of certain public duties, and
4. Support for the citizens.

List of adopted measures:

1. Wage financial support for employees for the months of February and March 2021, amounting to Denar 1.9 billion, covering around 60,000 workers per month. Financial support will be scalable amounting from Denar 14,500 to Denar 21,776, for paying monthly wage per employee, aimed at keeping the jobs in the domestic companies depending on the decline the company recorded in the course of November and December 2020 and January 2021 comparted to November and December 2019 and January 2020 – comparing the period of three months with the identical 3-month period a year ago.
2. Interest-free loans for companies operating in the field of tourism, craftsmanship, hospitality industry, transport, event planning industry, private health institutions and similar, through the Development Bank of North Macedonia. This measure amounts to Denar 615 million, whereby interested parties can apply therefore in the course of 2021. This measures also applies to persons performing independent activity and private health institutions. Depending on the total scope of work or the amount of the profit to be generated, the companies will be provided with the possibility for 30% to 50% of the extended interest-free loan to be non-repayable.
3. Financial support for 120 broadcasters amounting to Denar 50 million in 2021. Under this measure, 120 broadcasters, i.e. radio and TV broadcasters being awarded active concession for broadcasting radio and TV programs, will be exempt from the annual concession-related fee.
4. Exemption from digital terrestrial multiplex fee throughout 2021. This measure covers all broadcasters in the country, by which they will have their costs covered in 2021, being related to the digital terrestrial multiplex and the broadcasting license. This decision is in line with the Law on Electronic Communications, being aimed at mitigating the COVID-19 induced economic consequences on the media and broadcasting sector.
5. Financial support for registered craftsmen in 2021. Under this measure, craftsmen will have their decisions on PIT advance payment reduced by 50% in 2021 compared to the decisions in 2020.
6. Financial support for citizens by extending the measure for PIT advance payment deferral by 30^th June 2021. This measure amounts to Denar 15 million, the target group of which is persons performing independent activity, who pursuant to the Law on Personal Income Tax, were exempted from advance payments by 31^st March 2021.
7. Financial support for international transporters, support for the companies, which total number of employees is around one thousand, being entered in the Registry of Transporters, kept in the Ministry of Transport and Communications, carrying out international line or free passenger transport.
8. Financial support from EUR 3,000 to EUR 10,000 for companies recording decline in the income higher by 50% in 2020 compared to 2019. This measure will provide for scalable support and the criterion for applying therefore is for the registered transporting companies carrying out passenger transport to have recorded more than 50% decline in their income. This measure amounts to Denar 40 million, covering around 200 beneficiaries.
9. State loan guarantee amounting to Denar 307.5 million. Under this measure, additional EUR 5 million will be provided for the state loan guarantee, being distributed through the Development Bank of North Macedonia. The state is expected to guarantee for the loans, which commercial banks will extend to the companies, amounting to around EUR 30 million.
10. Extension of the grace period for paying the liabilities of the loan beneficiaries under the second interest-free credit line “COVID 2” at the Development Bank, by the end of 2021.
11. Support for event planning industry and operators aimed at implementing projects of public and state interest, amounting to Denar 61 million. This measure is intended for legal entities organizing public events, i.e. marketing and event planning agencies, productions and other operators under the event planning industry, which will also cover performers, educators, cultural workers, artists, musicians, other professions under this event planning industry, being directly affected by the pandemic. Program will be realized by the General Secretariat of the Government, whereby the applicants, i.e. operators orphaning public events, will have to adhere to the following criteria: events covering the topic of public and state interest, ensuring visibility of the event before the broad domestic public via partnerships with the national and the other TV and other types of media, and including performers, educators, cultural operators, artists, musicians and others, in the production of contents within the events of public interest.
12. Financial support for hotels operating outside the tourist attractions. Amount is Denar 64.6 million for 2021. The amount of this support will be calculated according to the registered bed places in the hotels, as well as in line with the methodology on categorization, which will be defined by the Ministry of Economy.
13. Financial support through the Fund for supporting export-oriented companies, in the amount of Denar 615 million, to be established through the Development Bank of North Macedonia. It is a matter of cheap loan products for companies exporting the majority of their products.
14. Support for sports clubs. It is envisaged for 33% of the amount the sports clubs receive under the voucher system, to be paid from the Budget at the start of the year. This measure amounts to Denar 184. 5 million. In 2020, around EUR 9.2 million was donated to the sports club under the voucher system, according to the records of the Agency of Youth and Sports.
15. Abolishment of customs duties on 71 raw materials by end-2021. It is a matter of temporary measure aimed at export-oriented companies, amounting to Denar 436.6 million.
16. Abolishment or reduction of customs duties on 31 raw materials and meat. Fiscal implications thereof amount to Denar 228.2 million.
17. Harmonization with the rules and the customs treatment of products and services on the market in the Republic of North Macedonia with the EU single market and the markets of the World Trade Organization Member States. Estimated fiscal implications amount to around Denar 615 million.
18. Simplified requirements for 245 companies under active contracts and new potential investors, which will make investments in line with the Law on Financial Support of Investments.
19. Support to micro, small- and medium-sized enterprises, as well as private health institutions via co-financed assistance for technologic development, the goal of which is accelerated economic growth amid COVID-19 – through the Fund for Innovation and Technological Development, in the amount of Denar 369 million. The purpose is providing financial support for technologic development of enterprises and private health institutions, the goal of which is accelerated economic growth.
20. Reallocation of funds from block grants, the municipalities saved or not used in the course of 2020 and 2021, to capital projects.
21. Financial support for tobacco growers, for the purpose of preventing the consequences related to restrictions on transport and trade, as well as decline in the consumption of tobacco processed goods on global level. This measure amounts to Denar 307. 5 million for 2021.
22. Forgiving the interest on the basis of individuals’ debt towards public institutions and enterprises. Under this measure according to the respective legal amendments thereto, public utility enterprises, public enterprises and PRO, as well as municipalities and all other public institutions, will be obliged to forgive interest on the basis of individuals’ debts by forgiving 100% arrears on the basis of interest. This applies to all individuals in our country. Principal due more than three months for delivered utility and other public services, taxes and property tax, could be rescheduled for payment in the coming 12 months. Rescheduling measure will be implemented by announcing a public call to cover a period of 5 months within which the citizens (individuals) will request debt rescheduling.
23. Financial support to health workers not included in the third set of measures. It is a matter of low number of beneficiaries, Denar 570,000 being projected therefor. Funds are intended for health workers in the hospitals in Strumica and Gostivar.
24. Extension of time period of license and permits by one year for entities such as: nightclubs, cabarets, airports hunting grounds, etc. The measure will be implemented by all stakeholders by announcing a public call, providing for extension of the right to use the licenses for one year, free of any fees. Mining concessionaires, sand and gravel mining concessionaires, casino and betting house concessionaires are excluded from this measure.
25. Exemption from contractual obligations, more precisely exemption form paying penalties for companies having concluded contracts with LGUs, envisaging penalty clause. They are given the possibility, under a decision adopted by the municipal council, to be exempted from such clause for a minimum 1 year from now.
26. Financial support to viticulturists and grape exporters who did not manage to use the support under the four sets of measures, amounting to Denar 40 million.
27. Financial support by creating so called Matching Fund for Roma entrepreneurs. This measure amounts to Denar 123 million for 2021, intended mostly for micro and small-sized enterprises, the operations of which have been affected by the respective crisis. It also aimed at stimulating formalization of the business of this vulnerable category. REDI Regional Program has allocated around EUR 1 million for the Republic of North Macedonia, to which we are extremely grateful, while our financial participation in this Fund is expected to be in approximate amount or the same proportion.
28. Increasing the threshold for profit tax on vacation allowance from 40% to 80%.This measure covers the companies obliged to pay vacation allowance to their employees.
29. Support for digital transformation of businesses, having low level of digitalization for the purpose of achieving quicker post-COVID 19 revitalization. This measure include a series of benefits to small-sized and micro enterprises, the total amount of which is Denar 25 million for 2021.

Оваа вест е достапна и на: