On its 150th Session the Government of the Republic of North Macedonia discussed and adopted the Communiqué for increase of the salaries in primary, secondary and high education in the Republic of North Macedonia by 5%. The payment will start as of September 2019. The Government assigned the Minister of Education and Science, Arber Ademi, to sign the Agreements with the Individual Union on Education, Science and Culture (SONK) for realization of the foreseen increase in salaries.
Furthermore, the Government of the Republic of North Macedonian assigned the Minister on Education and Science to prepare a decision for the new quotients for increase in salaries in the public high education institutions and public science institute by 5% while the payment is to start from September 2019.
Moreover, the members of the Government adopted a Proposal Decision for amendments and additions to the Decision for determining of goods and services which are subject to beneficial VAT rate, thus decreasing the prices of certain number of medicines, including the veterinary medicines. A beneficial tax rate is prescribed of 5% for the thermal energy used for heating which was adopted on one of the previous sessions of the Government.
The Government of the Republic of North Macedonia, on proposal of the Ministry of Education and Science discussed and adopted the Communiqué and provided positive opinion for establishing a new municipal primary school “Kiro Gligorov” in the municipality Centar which will receive the first generation of students in the course of the forthcoming 2019/2020 study year.
Additionally, the Government discussed the Communiqué and adopted the final text of the Code of Ethics for the members of the Government, high officials appointed on behalf of the Government and the advisors who are on high management positions, in order to provide legal, honest, transparent and accountable working of the members of the Government of the Republic of North Macedonia, deputy ministers and high officials appointed by the Government.
This Code regulates compliance with constitution, legislation, professional integrity, efficiency, loyalty, accountability, transparency and protection of human rights and freedoms in the course of execution of their functions i.e. duties within the Constitution, laws and international agreements ratified in pursuance to the Constitution of the Republic of North Macedonia in order to reinforce the integrity of the institutions and to restore the trust of the citizens in their work.
The Government of the Republic of North Macedonia determined the text of the Draft Law for Debts of the Republic of North Macedonia within the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development – World Bank with regards to the Agreement for Loan on Development Policies for public finances and competitiveness which is to be delivered to the Assembly of the Republic of North Macedonia for further adoption.
The purpose of this loan is to secure funds for budget support while the basic principle of the Draft Law is to secure loan for development policies for public finances and competitiveness.
Hence, the Republic of North Macedonia and the World Bank will execute an Agreement for Loan in the amount of 125,000,000 EUR which is part of the new Framework for Partnership with the country within the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development – World Bank agreed on 18th April 2019 for the period 2019-2023 in the amount of 420 mil USD in new loans for the following four and a half years for implementation of the Framework for Partnership depending on the loan capacity of the World Bank, the requests from other loan recipients, success and priority of the country and global economic developments.
The Partnership Framework focuses on three mutually related areas which have been achieved by the Republic of North Macedonia, such as: Export oriented growth; improvement of the environment for competitive private sector; inclusive growth i.e. expansion of skills and possibilities for the most vulnerable categories; and sustainable growth i.e. improvement of sustainability and building shock resistance.
On its 150th session the Government of the Republic of North Macedonia discussed and adopted the Communiqué on new additional preventive measures which are undertaken by the Food and Veterinary Agency in coordination with the in-line ministries, agencies, offices and public enterprises for reinforcement of the border controls to secure all necessary measures to prevent the expansion of the African Plague among pigs.
Today the Government of the Republic of North Macedonia adopted the Communiqué for dynamics and financial assets for realization of the projects for construction of magistral gas pipelines, section Gostivar-Kichevo and section Sveti Nikole-Veles and assigned the Ministry of Finance in cooperation with MER AD Skopje to address the international financial institutions and bilateral creditors by requesting funds in the type of loan secured with state guarantee for financing of projects for construction of these magistral gas pipelines.
Moreover, the Government adopted the Communiqué on creating a Law for Donating Excess Food and assigned the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management in cooperation with the Food and Veterinary Agency within 15 days to prepare the draft Law for Donating Excess Food and to submit it to the Government of the Republic of North Macedonia.
The ministers in the Government of the Republic of North Macedonia discussed and adopted the Communiqué for the need of increasing the number of ombudsmen in the State Ombudsman Office of the Republic of North Macedonia.
Additionally, the Government discussed and adopted the Communiqué for Program for Economic Reforms 2020-2022 using an Action Plan for Realization of the recommendations adopted by the Economic-Financial Dialogue in May 2019 and assigned the Cabinet of the Deputy President of the Government of the Republic of North Macedonia in charge of economic affairs and coordination of economic sectors and other ministries, agencies and funds in charge of implementation of the Program for Economic Reforms 2020-2022, until 26th August 2019 to submit to the Ministry of Finance to submit results with proposed reform measures in pursuance to their authorities which are part of the first draft version of Chapter 5 from the Program for Economic Reforms 2020-2022.
The Government today discussed the Communiqué for the Program and Priorities of the Finnish Presidency with the Council of the European Union, with a calendar for the informal ministerial meetings of the European Union and accepted the opinion of the Secretariat on European Affairs for the need of updating the accompanying calendar for informal meetings within the frames of the Presidency of the Informal Ministerial Meeting on Justice and Interior for Western Balkan which is to take place on 18-19 November 2019.
