10th November 2020, Skopje – “Support to the health sector and the economic recovery from COVID-19 are the top priorities for next year. At the same time, the public finance-related reforms, which are to be implemented, will provide for underpinning accelerated economic growth in the medium and long run”, Minister of Finance Fatmir Besimi said at a meeting held on the occasion of the 2021 Budget preparation with the international institutions, attended by the EU, the IMF and the World Bank delegations, which was also underlined at the expert meeting held at the same occasion.
– Overall process of public finance-related reforms will mean introducing the SMART Finance Concept (Strategic, Maintainable, Accountable, Reform-oriented and Transparent), i.e. public finances that will provide for underpinning intensified economic growth in the medium and long run, amid fiscal sustainability and macroeconomic and financial stability – Minister pointed out.
Furthermore, as he went on, the key foundations on which the 2021 Budget is to be created are the following “intensified, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, which will be based upon the rule of law and capacity building of institutions, implementation of infrastructure projects that contribute to growth, as well as implementing measures and policies aimed at human capital development, as well as boosted competitiveness of companies”.