Over 100 amendments are being considered in the parliamentary committee on finance and budget, which is debating the Draft Budget for 2026, reports Telegraph Macedonia.
In the proposed budget for 2026, total revenues are projected at 374.7 billion denars, or 6 billion euros, while expenditures are projected at 413.9 billion denars, or 6.7 billion euros. Capital investments are at the level of 40.5 billion denars, or 650 million euros. Economic growth is projected at 3.8 percent, inflation at 2.5 and the budget deficit at 3.5 percent of GDP.
There is more money in the Budget for pensions, salaries and social transfers, but all of this will have to be covered by new borrowing to cover the gap between revenues and expenditures. The draft budget for 2026 plans about 1.9 billion euros for pensions and 855.3 million euros for public sector salaries, which is a 7% increase compared to this year when 780 million euros were allocated, "Fokus" reports.
Where will a fifth of the salary money end up? Thousands of people are employed in about 300 unknown state bodies out of a total of 1,371 institutions, which were established by every public sector body.
No one has heard of these institutions, agencies, institutes and bodies, and they all operate with directors, management and supervisory boards, have official vehicles at their disposal and a stable annual budget. The official register lists a total of 14 institutions, which in 2023 had no employees, but had directors./Telegraph/
