Skopje, 27th July 2012 (MIA) – In times of crisis across Europe, Government of the Republic of Macedonia excludes no scenarios and works on finding solutions and adequate policies and measures, Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, Zoran Stavreski, said when asked by the journalists on whether they prepared for recession.
– In times when the crisis in Europe escalates, not a single scenario can be ruled out. We put efforts to find solutions and adequate policies and measures for all scenarios. Our role as a Government is to make timely efforts for the consequences from such recession, which cannot be fully avoided, to be as milder as possible and to save the Macedonian economy, alleviate the consequences from this European crisis for the citizens, Stavreski underlined.
He added that the Government undertook timely measures, such as EUR 100 million from the European Investment Bank, funds never before made available to the Macedonian companies in just one year, with favourable interest rate. – Total amount in these three years of the crisis is EUR 250 million, Finance Minister emphasized, indicating the additional EUR 11 million for companies engaged in the agricultural sector, EUR 350 million in the Budget for capital investments, self-employment measures. Effects from the measures related to reduction of customs duties, VAT for tourism, etc., are expected.
– It is a wide range of measures in all segments in the economy, aimed at helping our companies, including what we do in general by refraining from tax increase and keeping the zero percentage income tax, being a measure not applied in any country in Europe. We face challenges how to provide smooth budget operations and execution of liabilities with such low taxes. However, we have been aware that it is the best policy for the economy and that is how we have acted, Stavreski underlined.
According to him, all these measures suggest that the Government is doing everything in its power, and it undertakes timely measures as well.
He emphasized that no Supplementary Budget is planned given the present trends. – We monitor the trends. Now we are ready to make the best moves, we do not plan any Supplementary Budget at this stage, Vice Prime Minister Stavreski said at the press conference at the Government Building, where Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski presented the activities realized last year.