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MILS: News from the FYROM, 96-12-05Macedonian Information Liaison Service Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: "Macedonian Information Liaison Service" <mils@mils.spic.org.mk>CONTENTS
MILS SUPPLEMENTMILS NEWSSkopje, 05 December, 1996[01] SIMITIS: GLIGOROV HAS TO WORK ON THE NAME-ISSUEGreek PM Costas Simitis assessed the three-minute encounter with the Mac. Head of state Kiro Gligorov in Lisbon (the first bilateral meeting on this level after 6 years since the emergence of Greek-Macedonian difficulties regarding the name-issue) as a courtesy call with political contents.According to MTV Simitis stressed that relations have to be developed continually, which has to be paralleled by Gligorov's reviewing the settlement of the name-issue. For the time being, the Greek PM emphasized, that the dialogue with Macedonia would be continued within the UN. [02] SOFIA PRESS: `ZHELEV AND GLIGOROV CONVERSED IN PURE BULGARIAN'`Makfax' reports that Sofia newspapers claim that during the Zhelev - Gligorov meeting both presidents talked for over an hour without an interpreter (who Zhelev had cancelled), in pure Bulgarian. The above named agency the Macedonian President proposed that the agreements drafted back in 1992 be ratified - without clarifying how the language issue were to be overcome, and in which language they would be signed.Zhelev stated that all options would be considered. Today's issue of `Dnevnik' the Mac. Foreign Office revealed that the language issue with Bulgaria will only be overcome if the Bulgarian side agreed to ratify bilateral agreements in both Macedonian and Bulgarian. [03] `COMPARATIVE STUDY' ON RIGHTS OF TURKISH ETHNICITY IN MACEDONIA AND BULGARIAThe rights of the Turkish ethnicity in Macedonia have been pointed out as a positive example for the second time throughout the past couple of days by the Party for the Rights and Liberties of Bulgarian Turks, in their demands posed to the Bulgarian Government on the recognition of their rights in this country. `Makfax' reports that the leadership of this party emphasized that the Turkish minority in Macedonia - although it has only one parliamentary representative - enjoys far more and greater rights than the Turkish minority in Bulgaria, who are merely denoted as `Moslems' in the Constitution of the country.[04] ON THE BUDGET, FISCAL AND MONETARY POLICY FOR NEXT YEARFinance Minister Taki Fiti stated during yesterday's press conference that the National Budget for 1997 totals the amount of 41 billion 520 million denars - whereas predicted overall expenditures are to exceed this sum by 3 billion denars, i.e. they will amount to 44 billion 450 million denars. The deficit is to be covered through foreign loans, says Minister Fiti, stressing that even within internal revenues taxes totalling 39 billion denars have been predicted, whereas non-tax revenues amount to 2 billion 300 million denars. According to his information internal revenues are planned to be lower by 1 billion 595 million denars in comparison to last year's - which is indicative of a restrictive budget that is, nevertheless, concordant to the realistic potential of the economy.While discussing the basics of fiscal and monetary policy in Macedonia for the upcoming year, Minister Fiti stressed that the doubling of budget means into 2.4 billion denars for the sustaining of currency stability (via the National Bank of Macedonia) and the increasing of banking placements in economy, would represent one of the fundamental instruments conducive to the achievement of macro-economic objectives (inflation rate of 2% and GNP growth of 5%) next year. A novelty in the `97 Budget is the introduction of the so- called `tresor system', which is to facilitate a complete survey of budget spending in terms of use and beneficiaries, as well as the determining of the justifiability of these spendings. Another new component due to be implemented next year is the registration of the budget beneficiaries' internal revenues, i.e. their monitoring throughout the initial stages and the subsequent decision on whether these yields are to be integrated into the Budget - or the Budget funds for these beneficiaries is to be decreased. According to NBM Vice-Governor Tome Nenovski, overall banking investments in Macedonia are to amount to somewhat more than 4 billion denars throughout 1997, i.e. 16% less than this year's. It is also quite possible that they are to be suspended towards the close of the year. Nenovski reveals that Mac. businessmen will have 146 million dollars in credits rendered by international financial institutions at their disposal in 1997, with an annual interest rate of app. 9% - which is half of what Mac. banks offer (18 - 20%) in this respect. In this context it has also been mentioned that the NBM reduced its escount rate from 9.2% to 8.9%, which should be conducive to the decreasing of credit interest rates in Macedonian banks. [05] `DNEVNIK': GOVERNMENT TO REPLACE `CONTINGENCIES' WITH `PERMITS'The Mac. Government is to replace export-import `contingencies' of certain goods (oil and oil derivatives, steel, aluminum, etc.) - issued by the Foreign Office so far - with `permits' to be issued by the Ministry of Economy, reports `Dnevnik'. Economic experts and Mac. merchants think that this sort of substitution is not conducive to the general trend of international trade liberalization, which is one of the fundamental prerequisites imposed by the World Bank to implement the SAL - arrangement.[06] SAVINGS INSURANCE FUND ESTABLISHEDThe Public Savings Insurance Fund - due to commence operations at the beginning of 1997 - has been founded in Skopje yesterday, by 13 banks and 7 savings institutions, as a shareholding society. Its task is to protect clients and its members. Fund membership is compulsory for those financial institutions handling customer savings and subvencive accounts of individual clients. Each member is required to procure the founding fee of 10 000 DM. In return the clients of these institutions will receive restitution totalling 75% of their deposits by the Fund, should their bank be unable to return their savings. Financial institutions which are prohibited to handle customer savings by the NBM cannot become Fund members.The Director of the `Almako Banka', Metodija Toshevski, has been elected for the first Fund Chairman - whereas `Stopanska Banka' Deputy-Director Emilija Stoilovska has been elected General Manager. NBM Vice-Governor Tome Nenovski - according to Macedonian Radio reports - denoted this as the first more significant step towards regaining public trust. At the same time he also mentioned further possibilities and courses of action contributing to the completion of stabilization procedures within the Mac. banking system. [07] RISTO PENOV MAYOR OF SKOPJE OFFICIALLYYesterday the Skopje Election Commission announced the official mayor-of- Skopje election results. Based on the latter the majority of votes went to the IMRO-DPMNE, DP & MAAK-CP coalition candidate Risto Penov (62 177 votes), followed by the independent (electorate group) candidate Ljupcho Nikolovski - Fufo (51 936), and SDSM candidate Jovica Ugrinovski (45 692), then LP candidate Darko Markovikj with 16 577 votes. Official records determined that the electorate tun-out in Skopje totalled 50.83%.The Ohrid Election Commission revealed still unofficial mayor election results, after counting the votes of servicemen stationed at the municipality. According to these the race is being led by SPM candidate Nikola Matlievski (9 583 votes), followed by SDSM candidate Krste Tanasovski, who is 88 votes short of the leading position. MTV reports that several complaints regarding election procedures in Ohrid have already been lodged by parties. Following the count of ARM servicemen votes, the city of Probishtip obtained its new mayor in shape of the IMRO- DPMNE, DP & MAAK-CP coalition candidate Vanche Mijalchev with 2 632 votes in his favour, while runner-up Goce Donev (SDSM) managed to gain 2 620. The party of the latter has lodged a complaint on elections conducted in this municipality. At the Rosoman municipality SPM candidate Strasho Dukov won the mayor elections by merely two voices over triple coalition candidate Vasil Trpevski, with a total of 1 094 (including the votes of ARM servicemen). Coalition members and supporters expressed their displeasure concerning election results by staging a protest in front of the premises of the Rosoman Election Commission. Concerning election results in Valandovo, the SDSM Election HQ claim that their candidate Nikola Uzunov has been elected mayor, whereas DP representatives claim that the Election Commission had records confirming the victory of their candidate Jovan Peev (incl. servicemen votes). [08] LJUPCHO GEORGIEVSKI: TRIPLE COALITION THE OFFICIAL WINNER OF LOCAL ELECTIONS`The triple coalition is the official winner of these local elections, as it has obtained 295 000 votes within the race for mayor positions - in comparison to the 276 000 favouring the SDSM... stated IMRO-DPMNE leader Ljupcho Georgievski during yesterday's press conference. The battle for counsellor seats has also been of a positive outcome for his party with 260 000 over 240 000 SDSM votes, continued Georgievski stressing at the same time that what could happen is the `Serbianization of democracy in Macedonia on a small scale'. This could be induced by the annulment of elections by the incumbent party in several polling stations or municipalities throughout the country. Georgievski also underlined that certain situations indicated that - quite obviously - more problems with regards to local elections in Macedonia were on the horizon in certain `critical' areas, such as Prilep and Probishtip.[09] PETAR GOSHEV: `SDSM' KLEPTOMANIACS IMITATE MILOSHEVIKJ`The kleptomaniacs of Macedonia's most right-wing orientated and conservative party - the SDSM - are proving to be a bottomless pit in copying Miloshevikj as far as the pruning of election results in Prilep, Valandovo, Kavadarci, Gjorche Petrov and several other municipalities are concerned'. This is the opinion of DP leader Petar Goshev, who furthermore thinks that SDSM representatives are altering records already signed by the Election Commissions in some polling stations. He also appealed to members of these commissions to refuse participation in this new election robbery; and asked Appeal Courts to prove their affiliation to the public - and not to parties. Citizens were asked by the DP leader to exhibit mass attendance of possible gatherings, which would be staged in protest of election results manipulations in several municipalities.[10] PDP: CONVINCING VICTORY WITH ALBANIAN ELECTORATE`With 13 obtained mayor positions and 210 counsellor seats (some in coalition with the NDP and DPT), the PDP is extremely satisfied with the will manifested by the electorate', evaluates PDP leader Naser Ziberi, while pointing out that some irregularities nevertheless emerged - particularly at the municipalities Vrutok and Bogomilje.Rank 3 in the local elections in Macedonia - party representatives claim - are a convincing victory of their party with the Albanian electorate. From the four not yet determined mayor positions, the party expects to obtain three slots (incl. Tetovo). This would prove that PDP is the first and strongest party, the party to be trusted. With respect to the PDPA it has been said that false accusations and channeling of voters towards third candidates, aggressive representation and the lack of reciprocal support of PDP candidates in some municipalities have had an impact. PDP officials also stated their discontent by the fact that the triple coalition candidate had been elected mayor of Skopje, as `these parties have always expressed explicit and decisively anti-Albanian statements'. [11] LJUPCHO NIKOLOVSKI: CORRECT ATTITUDE OF PUBLIC MEDIAYesterday the independent candidate for the position mayor of Skopje, Ljupcho Nikolovski - Fufo, aired a couple of objections regarding election procedures in round 2. Most violations had been registered at the Shuto Orizari municipality in Skopje where his polling station representatives were apprehended by the police and detained at the police station for 2 hours. His Election HQ, nevertheless, decided not to submit a written complaint regarding this matter - but to accept the victory of his opponent Risto Penov. While expressing his gratitude towards those who voted for him, Nikolovski stated that the media behaved correctly throughout the campaign.[12] WARNING STRIKE OF MEDICAL PERSONNEL HELDThe previously announced warning strike in the public health and social protection sector was staged yesterday, but it did not include hospitalization and urgent medical aid facilities due to the nature of the service they provide.This one-hour long suspension of work was also boycotted by other services, such as the Clinic of Dental Medicine in Skopje which announced that it did not support the strike. The basic objective of this strike was the procuring of normal working conditions, and the improvement of the social and economic status of employees within the public health and social services sectors. MILS SUPPLEMENT[13] `No Cure for SOCIALS'(`Vecher', 04 December, 1996)The state is neither able to take care of all social welfare cases, nor can it `cover them with a comforter' till Kingdom come... state funds are mainly being required by the unemployed, but there are many `socials' among those employed, those retired... `officially' there are even entire households on social welfare. Unfortunately there are more have-nots than haves in our country. Not all of the former, however, have obtained the status of `welfare cases' which means that many of them have found themselves in some kind of `limbo', a place most definitely not known for its comfort. The reason why not all those in need of social welfare do actually receive it is a rather simple one: the poverty line has been drawn rather low (considering our overall living standards); and what is even more important is the fact that the national budget has allocated a limited amount of means, which resulted in a basic social welfare programme covering only 50% those who made below the poverty line, thus becoming eligible to the denotation `socials'. The basic funds provided on a monthly basis for the latter amounts to 1 812 denars (in the cities) and 1 482 (in the countryside), which are augmented up to a certain percentage determined by the number of children and adults in the family _ the household. Thus an additional 15 levels of social welfare for urban and rural environments have been outlined. Departing from this basic amount rendered as existential support for one adult citizen, one arrives at the ultimate category of a 5-member household which has to make ends meet during a month on 4 530 (city) and 3 705 (countryside) denars. The highest level of social protection is being provided for `three adults and two children', and for `four adults and one child', totalling the amount of 4 983 (city) and 4 076 (countryside) denars a month. The average Macedonian family consisting of two adults and two children has to make do with 4 168 (city) and 3 409 (countryside) denars. This is all the state can do, the state which decided that it can take care of 60 000 households this year - bereft of illusions that it will be able to `cover' all people in need of social welfare, or that it is in the position to resolve all their social problems. Not because it is not willing to do so, but merely because this is as far as it can `stretch out its feet under the blanket', and because it expects some sort of auto- initiative to be exhibited by these citizens to overcome their present deplorable social situation. Therefore the total amount of this kind of support varies within the range of low blue-collar income and retirement pension, which is conducive to the `elimination' of those contenders who have even `a dime' more than this minimum amount, although it is more than obvious that a month cannot be survived on a whole - let alone even two average pays in this country. This, actually, accounts for the fact why the majority of social welfare recipients are those unemployed (60 to 70%), but registered at the Employment Agency, whereas a smaller portion are classical social welfare cases (those receiving permanent support in compliance to the Law on Social Protection), employed people and pensioners who are socially endangered in spite of their social status and who - under normal circumstances - should be provided with material and social stability. But even in spite of the fact that one has to accept the most realistic estimate on the state's capacity in terms of the inclusiveness and quality of social welfare, it remains surprising that some on its list are left without health care!? This is most probably some sort of mistake, as otherwise it would have to be considered that among more than 175 000 employees who receive their pay with one, two or several months delay - and there are bound to be such (e.g. single mothers, etc.) who have no other sources than social support - who must be covered by health insurance. Since, if they do not receive pay for months ergo do not have a member through which they can be insured, how could they pay for medical services? This is the case, for instance, with `Makedonija Drvo' where income has not been received for over 20 months, or with `FAS 11. Oktomvri' where employees (i.e. what has been left of them) only recently received their pay for February due to `bullying' which has become some kind of `tradition' in this firm... Thus while the state considers people insured through their `employment status', which exists only `pro forma', and the employer considers the issue settled based on the factual status of welfare cases, some people are `left in limbo' - praying that they will not get sick. There are no precise data on their quantity, but then again it is not known whether anybody bothered to count them? This figure will, hopefully, not be too high for the state to fill this void in the social protection sector. Next year will see the implementation of the already established system for the protection of the socially endangered population by the programmatic procurement of social welfare funds. To this purpose certain alterations and additions are to be conducted regarding the current system towards the beginning of this year, including the adoption of a Resolution on Criteria, Modes and Procedures facilitating the exercising of this right. In addition to this, it has been estimated that app. 60 000 households are to be covered by this programme per month next year, base on objective criteria for their just and efficient selection. (end)mils news 05 December, 1996Macedonian Information Liaison Service Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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