Northern Macedonia to subsidise 250,000 workers with 250 euros

However, the business community is not satisfied with the measures taken by the government of this state for the private sector.

Northern Macedonia will subvent 250 thousand employees who have been hit by the pandemic by 250 euros per month. Although, he has not made any decision to cut salaries in the public sector, even though he was being debated on the issue.

The chairman of the North-Western Macedonia Economic Ode, Nebi Hoxha, in an interview for Kosovo Press says that in terms of economic aspect, it is a serious situation where many businesses have closed their capacities.

Also, according to Hoxha, from this crisis, these private companies have temporarily dismissed a large number of workers, while adding how Ode Economics have appealed and demanded concrete and practical measures to help the first businesses that have been hit by Covid-19.

“As far as concrete measures are concerned, we are not satisfied and we as the Economic Ode have expressed dissatisfaction with the fact that the measures are not enough, and the measures we've asked for are the coverage of the salaries of workers who have come out of work as well as the contributions we pay for our workers, in a concrete case, to cover only 250 euros' wages. The other aspect, it's of the loans we have as businesses, where loans are granted in the mortorium or have been prolonged for six months, but the interest in those loans will be counted in the period after six months, even for the period that will not be paid in installments. So in this situation, banks will by no means have losses, and all losses will be paid to businesses. Therefore, these measures are insufficient and we appeal to the Government to review the measures, make changes, because the situation is not good on the ground”, Hoxha says.

Based on a survey that has come up with members, in this case with businesses, about 50 percent of businesses have halted and reduced staff numbers.

For this, Hoxha is asking the Government for the government's focus to be in the interest of the economy, otherwise economic consequences will be catastrophic to business.

“As far as the circulation is concerned, we, like Ode, have conducted a survey with members of the economic umbrella, by survey, are seen somewhere over 50 per cent of companies are working with reduced capacities and a number of employed reductions. This trend increases, because all businesses are interlocked, and first hotels, transportation and tourism were hit. So are other businesses that are related to these sectors that were hit. We think the government's focus should still be in the interest of the economy, because we will somehow overcome the health crisis or the pandemic, but the economic consequences will have catastrophic consequences for business. And the return to the preliminary economic situation will be extremely long”, he declares.

The chairman of the North-Western Macedonia Economic Ode, even though he is not satisfied with the government's measures, has shown the way I will benefit a business from the government and when it needs to return state aid. According to him, the number of employees in the private sector is about 350 thousand, until they benefit from these at a rate of 250 thousand.

“Based on the package that was offered from the front are about 250 thousand employees in Macedonia, but we appreciate that this measure or this package is not enough because the number of injuries is even greater. We think that these measures should be revised by the government once again and made a review of the exact value that is hit by business and workers working in our companies. If a company has ten employees and workers are not working the company must apply, and the government releases them in circulation for ten employees of 250 euros or 2,500 euros. The company with this amount covers the minimum wage that is envisioned, but if the company in the post-crisis period will show profit in circulation, then the company is obliged to have a share of the government's amount paid for aid to the workers return the government to 50 per cent worth of state aid to the companies”, Hoxha states.

Although the Government for Emergency Fund has not yet determined the total value, according to parameters it has offered for April and May, there are an estimated 60m euros per month.

Pandemia, Hoxha, has also affected trade reports with neighbouring countries and beyond, while this is expected to reflect on state revenues.