Skopje, 4th September 2014 (MIA) – Parliament of the Republic of Macedonia adopted the supplemented 2014 Supplementary Budget at plenary session.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, Zoran Stavreski, explaining the supplemented Draft Supplementary Budget said, that it is being made for the purpose of harmonizing the dynamics of execution of expenditures particularly as regards the infrastructure projects, with the revenue dynamics.
According to him, it is a matter of Mini Supplementary Budget, adjusting the revenue and expenditure sides, being lower by 2%, due to which this is a Mini Supplementary Budget, however, as he added, it is necessary so as to end the year as it was planned with fiscal discipline and by retaining the main parameters of fiscal policy within the projections.
Largest change made on the expenditure side, as he said, is providing additional funds in the amount of Denar 1.42 billion for construction of Corridor 10, i.e. motorway Demir Kapija-Smokvica, being carried out with more intensive dynamics compared to the projections, which is planned to be completed by August 2016.
As he stressed, adding funds in this item also leads to increase of budget deficit, accounting for 3.9%. Members of the Parliament of the ruling majority supported the Supplementary Budget. During the afternoon’s debate, Ramiz Merko from DUI suggested for the Ministry of Finance to envisage funds for dislocation of wild dumpsites, i.e. for construction of new legal dumpsites in the 2015 Budget. He also strived for increasing the funds for equal regional development and financing the local government units, i.e. allocating one percent of GDP for this purpose.
Ilija Dimovski retorted that the budgets of the local government units were increased by more than three times during the ruling of this Government.
– I have a feeling that local government units do not collect the local taxes, in particular the property tax with discipline. More than two thirds of the municipalities do not collect not even 60% of the property tax. I believe that some of the Mayors do this on purpose, while requiring funds from the central government at the same time. This is not correct since we can ask both the central and local institutions to meet their liabilities, Dimovski said.
During the afternoon’s debate, Vladanka Avirovic from SPM said that what is important for the Supplementary Budget is the fact the fiscal strategy will remain the same, as same as all macroeconomic indicators and that what is most important is that there are investments in Macedonia, above all in the field of infrastructure.
– Macedonia borrows funds only for the purpose of increasing the infrastructure projects, investing in roads, water supply systems and sewerage , as well as in every field where this is necessary and possible, Avirovic said.
Gorgi Kogobasiev from VMRO- DPMNE said that the achievements in Macedonian economy are a result of the consistent economic and budget policies.
Vlatko Gorcev, by expressing support to the draft Supplementary Budget, pointed out that he will additionally consolidate Macedonian economy and that large number of projects will be fully materialized next year, for which budget preparations have been commenced even now. Pointing out to the developments in the European economy, he said that given such circumstances, performance of Macedonian economy is solid and maximum efforts are being made therefore.
Krste Mukoski, from VMRO DPMNE as well, stressed that it is important that the Supplementary Budget funds are allocated for intensifying capital investments, which will lead to value added and which should increase the public and personal consumption, thus increasing GDP as well.
President of the Parliament Trajko Veljanoski congratulated the national holiday “8th September” to the citizens at the end of the session.
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