6th August 2024, Skopje – Implementation of projects, producing value added, impacting the GDP growth and yielding benefits for the citizens is what our country needs right now. Such Projects will both give rise to lower costs for the companies and ease the doing business conditions, as Minister of Finance, Gordana Dimitrieska-Kochoska pointed out in her guest appearance on Macedonian Radio, thereby addressing the issue related to the -Rail Corridor VIII – Phase 3- section Kriva Palanka to the Bulgarian Border.
“Repurposing the funds from this to another project is of vital importance. The ultimate goal thereof is reallocating the fund to the Corridor X railway line, being previously allocated for the Rail Corridor VIII – Phase 3- section Kriva Palanka to the Bulgarian Border Project. The words we choose are irrelevant. The benefits, which the citizens will generate is what matters, more to the point, a Project, which will bring value added and save money since Rail Corridor VIII – Phase 3- section Kriva Palanka to the Bulgarian Border Project is a dead-end. Terminologically speaking, it is irrelevant whether we will use the wording application or reallocation, what matters for the citizens are the benefits they are to reap therefrom”, Dimitrieska-Kochoska pointed out and added that there is day-to-day communication and coordination with the Prime Minister and the Minister of Transport and Communications, in particular as regards the implementation of major infrastructure projects.
As she clarified, the goal is to allow the companies to currently transport goods by rail from the port of Thessaloniki, which is closer, thus incurring lower costs for them, whereby by implementing the Corridor X Project, the costs will be even further reduced.
This is also of relevance for the price od products, which Macedonian companies export abroad, with the pending decarbonisation being additional challenge our Government is to confront. Hence, we have to ask ourselves what kind of policy we would, as a Government, pursue, if we are currently doing something that brings no value added to the companies, without reducing the costs thereof?!
Dimitrieska-Kochoska underlined that this does not imply disputing the Rail Corridor VIII – Phase 3- section Kriva Palanka to the Bulgarian Border Project, however, she believes that actions should be taken on implementing projects, which imply GDP growth, thus boosting the liquidity needed for servicing the liabilities. Thus, we can deliberate on taking actions about completing the railway line on Corridor VIII at some time in future.
She also stressed that this year’s projected GDP growth will be underpinned by implementing local projects i.e. via the municipalities foreseen under the Supplementary Budget, as well as via projects in the other line ministries, expecting thereby full commitment thereto.
She announced that activities have already been undertaken for preparing the 2025 Budget and that challenges still lie ahead, in other words, we make efforts to repair the damage done via the Supplementary Budget. She hereby underlined that fiscal consolidation is expected to pick up pace.
