A shortfall of one billion euros in the budget and an equal amount in the Pension and Disability Insurance Fund were discussed tonight on TV Telma’s “Top Tema” program, according to SDSM MP Sanja Llukarevska.
Llukarevska said the budget revision includes cuts that are unclear. Among the affected budget items, she also cited funding for Mother Teresa University.
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She noted that, according to figures on the Finance Ministry’s website covering all budget users, capital investment spending stands at 57.1 percent. The Ministry of Local Self-Government, she said, has spent nearly 5.7 percent, even though it is responsible for managing local self-government units.
The MP also raised concerns about cuts at the Ministry of Environment, while noting that funding for vehicle purchases has increased by 79.1 percent compared with the previous budget revision.
“We are cutting funding for the wastewater treatment plant and for improving air quality. With winter approaching, pollution will be knocking at our door, while the budget for vehicle purchases has increased by 79.1 percent compared with the previous revision. So we are cutting the strategy to combat air pollution but leaving the Ministry of Environment the option of buying new vehicles. At the same time, we claim that we are not making luxury expenditures and are not exceeding our plans,” Llukarevska said.
She also cited cuts to funding at the Ministry of Education, for FINKI and Mother Teresa University, and for the renovation of primary and secondary schools, primary-school sports halls and student dormitories. The list of cuts, she said, also includes funding for energy efficiency in dormitories.
“The Ministry of Health has 100 million euros less for capital investment. There is no mention of clinical centers, the hospital in Shtip or the one in Kichevo; there are cuts for rare diseases, too. At the Ministry of Economy, funding has been reduced for the small and medium-sized enterprises program, as well as for an issue that affects everyone: demographics,” Llukarevska stressed.
