Government extended the deadline for submission of applications for purchase of courtyard lots at the price of EUR 1 per square meter by 31st December 2012.
 
As Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, Zoran Stavreski, said the Government considers the project as a successful one and, at its today’s session, it decided to extend the deadline during which citizens who did not manage to submit applications by 27th January 2011 would be able to do so.
 
– At its today’s session, the Government discussed the Report on the assessment and the outcome of the measure “purchasing courtyard lots at the price of EUR 1 per square meter”, concluding that the project was exceptionally successful and one of the most significant projects realized in the past 20 years in the Republic of Macedonia, having massive responsiveness by the citizens. Over 100,000 citizens and 1,776 companies showed interest and submitted applications for purchase of courtyard lots, Minister Stavreski stated, adding that this shows that both the proposal and the government measure were well designed.
 
Analysis, as he pointed out, showed that certain number of citizens did not manage to submit applications due to insufficient information, as well as non-existence of detailed urban plans, and they would be able to do so within the extended deadline.
 
Ministry of Finance and Property and Legal Affairs Office are at the position that such additional deadline will be sufficient for all citizens and companies to submit applications for purchase of courtyard lots.
When asked about interventions from the commodity reserves, Minister Stavreski said that no such item was scheduled at the agenda to be discussed at the government session.
 
– The Government is carefully monitoring the developments and should it assess that there is a need to intervene, such issue will be discussed. We also have data on how much the state can intervene, if any need therefore arises, Minister Stavreski stated.
0Treasury bills were sold in the amount of Denar 2.3 billion at today’s auction, being something less than the treasury bills falling due, amounting to Denar 2.6 billion.
 
– Ministry of Finance continues the policy of reducing the amount of issued treasury bills, thus leaving more funds for the economy and the banks, Stavreski said, adding that interest rate was additionally reduced to 4.1%.
 
When asked about the government measure for import of vehicles from the USA, the Minister said that such measure, after it is published in the Official Gazette, will soon be applied, the objective being to provide an opportunity for certain number of citizens to be able to individually import vehicles manufactured in the USA.
 
– The Government intends, with all the measures it designs, to implement policies aimed at improving the economic standard of the citizens, one such possibility being the possibility to purchase a vehicle on the American market, where prices are more favourable than the ones on the European market. Such possibility is provided under the terms for fulfillment of certain standards as regards emission of exhaust gases and environment protection, Minister Stavreski stated.
 
He pointed out that, given that the American market is quite sophisticated, vehicles, meeting all standards like the European vehicles, can be imported.(MIA)