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MILS: News from the FYROM, 96-12-26Macedonian Information Liaison Service Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: "Macedonian Information Liaison Service" <mils@mils.spic.org.mk>CONTENTS
MILS SUPPLEMENTMILS NEWSSkopje, 26 December, 1996[01] US ARMY CINC IN MACEDONIAThe CINC of the US Army HQ, Gen. Dennis Rymer, has arrived on a two-day visit to Macedonia yesterday afternoon, media report. During his stay the US General is to meet Macedonian Defense Secretary Blagoj Handzhiski, as well as US troops within the UN Preventive Deployment Force.[02] NO COMMENTS FROM ATHENS ON GLIGOROV'S SPEECHYesterday Athenian papers covered the speech delivered by President Gligorov to the Parliament of Macedonia two days ago - without adding any comments to his commitment to terminate pressures impeding Macedonia from using its genuine name. According to `Makfax' Greek media have also conveyed the President's appeal to democratic forces in Greece for the extension of constructive negotiations in New York and settling of the name- issue on the basis of outlined principles, without alteration.[03] PROTOCOL MEETINGS OF THE NEWLY-APPOINTED RUSSIAN AMBASSADORThe Under-Secretary of the Macedonian Foreign Office, Ognen Malevski, has received the newly-appointed authorised Ambassador of the Russian Federation to Macedonia, H.E. Amb.Petar Dobroserdov. As the Macedonian Radio reports talks focused on the readiness of Macedonia to further intensify relations and cooperation with Russia in all respects. On this occasion the Russian Ambassador also submitted his accreditation. Today he is to be received by President Kiro Gligorov, Parliamentary Chairman Tito Petkovski and PM Branko Crvenkovski. [04] RESTRICTIVE BUDGET - GOVERNMENT PROPOSALConcordant to Government proposals the Budget for 1997 is to be smaller, and total 44 billion and 454 million denars. It has been adopted by the Macedonian Parliament yesterday with 65 votes in favour, and a lengthy discussion of 33 Amendments resulted in the ratification of merely 3 - 2 of which are concerned with technicalities. The third Amendment refers to the reallocation of 130 million denars from the Goods Reserves Agency to the funds for complementing the Parliament premises.Media report that debates focused on four key problems: stimulating export- orientated economy, building the water supply system `Lisiche' at Veles, increasing funds for the Agency for Undeveloped Areas and the subsidising of agriculture. The longest discussion nevertheless delved into the 90-million-denar request to finish construction of the `Lisiche' water supply system, which would procure clean drinking water for the population of Veles. This amendment, as well as all above mentioned issues, have been discarded. Since funds for the construction of the railway connection to Bulgaria have been downsized, too - Finance Minister Taki Fiti stated that this project will have to be financed by means obtained from the European Investment Bank. The ratification of the `97 Budget was followed by the adopting of several changes affecting tax policy. The latter makes room for the unification of the three different rates for service charges (existing so far) into one of 13%; for the reduction of revenue tax from 30 to 15% which - according to the Government - should be conducive to a more realistic depicting of achieved revenues. Changes of luxury and deficit goods result into an increase of tax on imported beer, whereas luxury goods tax has been downsized by 20% to 50%. A tax reduction has also been pushed forward for oil derivatives. During the last Parliamentary session of 1996 yesterday, MPs have also ratified the changes and complements to the Law on Pension and Impairment Insurance, which outline a new mode of determining retirement pensions in the future. Another thing adopted was the Decision on the Objectives and Tasks of Monetary Policy in `97, as well as a Decision on Hard Currency Policy and a Forecast on National Financial Balance - in a shape proposed by the Government. [05] NOVA MAKEDONIJA: `PRESIDENTIAL SPEECH PRESSURING MPS'Following the speech of the Republic's President Kiro Gligorov to the members of Parliament during the session two days ago, the parliamentary group of the LP forwarded a written note to Parliamentary Chairman Tito Petkovski requesting to postpone the discussing of the Draft-Budget `97. ‘Nova Makedonija' reveals that this request by the liberals has been signed by 16 of the 27 MPs constituting this faction; while it has been justified by certain implications contained in the final section of the Presidential Speech - as they could be considered as additional pressure exerted upon the members of Parliament to give their `carte blanche' support to the Draft-Budget 1997 for the Republic of Macedonia, and to the package of draft-bills facilitating the implementation of the `97 macro-economic policy. The Liberals have further supported their request for postponing debates with the fact that the majority of draft-bills scheduled for discussion during the 56th Session have been submitted to Parliamentary procedures at the last moment. As it is already known Parliamentary Chairman Tito Petkovski has not accepted this request, and MPs continued to discuss the Budget - and subsequently adopted the same yesterday without major changes to the Government proposal.Today `Nova Makedonija' reports that the Presidential speech delivered by Gligorov, particularly the last section on political and social demagogy offered `within certain political platforms in the country recently' - and the part referring to well-balanced relations with all neighbours, contained many clear messages, as interpreted by many MPs and the public, addressed to Socialist leader Ljubisav Ivanov - Zingo. According to `Nova Makedonija' this very passage is the reason why Ivanov requested a meeting with President Gligorov yesterday. The latter took place the same day, though there is no specific data on its contents yet. The above mentioned daily also reports that these days speculations of SDSM officials have gained increased volume and frequency, according to which local elections imposed the necessity to examine the future partnership with the SP, as the latter - though part of the Government - has proven to be its severe critic. Based on information published in `Nova Makedonija' the supporters of Socialist leader Ivanov are said to remain strictly convinced that the social- democrat coalition will not be wrecked. This conviction has been aired repeatedly during encounters with the press, as well as the opinion that collaboration on a national level does not exclude the independent appearance on a local level. The Socialists have also denied allegations on any sort of division within their party, reducing these to journalistic speculation and media campaigning. [06] LAW ON INSTRUCTION IN MINORITY LANGUAGES PROCESSED `DOUBLE- QUICK'The text of the Law referring to the Pedagogical Faculty of Skopje has been proof-read / purified, and it is only to regulate the issue of conducting instruction in minority languages - said the Under-Secretary of the Education Ministry Atanas Avramovski yesterday. The law is to be processed as quickly as possible, and the Macedonian Government is most likely to analyse it during its next session on Monday, informed Avramovski - adding that the University would not comment on this act of law. This, according to him, is to be required throughout the second round of discussions on the Law on Tertiary Education.According to A-1 TV, the Dean of the Pedagogical Faculty Nikola Petrovski has stated (in response to the aforesaid) that the Ministry has the right to draft laws, but the Management and the Senate of the University are obliged to analyse the latter. [07] CONSTITUTIONAL COURT: `POLICE MAY ONLY APPREHEND PEOPLE BASED ON A COURT ORDER'During yesterday's session the Constitutional Court of Macedonia has suspended Article 151, Paragraph 3 of the Criminal Prosecution Procedures Law, concordant to which law enforcement has been empowered to subpoena citizens upon stating their reason for doing so - as well as to apprehend a person by force if it has ignored this invitation or it has been cautioned due to this reason. The suspension of this provision means that a citizen may only be apprehended if the law sanctions this, i.e. there is a court order / warrant justifying this step.The Constitutional Court has also suspended Articles 11 and 12 of the Payment Flow Law yesterday, as it has been ruled by the Court that financial revisions may be conducted by other specialised subjects as well - in addition to the Payment Flow Institute. The surplus of revenues generated by this institute are also to remain within the latter, rather than being reallocated to the Budget, the Court decided. The Court furthermore suspended Article 37 of the Law on Spatial and Urban Planning as it has been assessed that citizens are paying for the use of urbanised space, for the determining of construction sites and for possessing real estate - which is not complying to the Constitution in terms of guaranteeing the principle of the rule of law. In addition to this the Law on Procuring Public Funds for Extending the Material Basis of Companies has been suspended in its entirety. The reasons for this legal intervention are to be sought - among other things - in the fact that this act of law upheld concepts not outlined by the Constitution. [08] ECONOMIC CHAMBER: `INVESTING INTO ECONOMY AND REALISTIC INTEREST RATE POLICY'Next year the Chamber of Economy of Macedonia is to direct its activities towards the increase of investments within the economic sector, and towards the implementation of a realistic interest rate policy which can be supported by economy. This has been part of a statement given by Chamber President Dushan Petrevski during the traditional annual meeting with the press yesterday. He furthermore stressed that this year's problems are to be transferred into the following year, as well as the fact that their resolving will require a thorough public debate.During the reception for the press Petrevski - according to `Dnevnik' - revealed that the Macedonian Chamber of Economy has first and foremost concentrated its efforts on solving production and export issues this year, as well as on the increasing of economic cooperation with international partners, the improvement of product quality and the obtaining of the ISO 9 000 certificates - prerequisite to placing goods on the world market. [09] STRIKE OF `MAVROVO' CONTINUES, PART OF ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF BACK AT WORKPart of the administrative staff of the `Mavrovo' Construction Contractor has resumed work after police had de-blocked several premises within the company HQ yesterday - according to `Vecher'. Contrary to this app. 150 employees continued to picket the building, announcing their intention to persevere protesting until all requests have been fulfilled. `Nova Makedonija' informs that employees have received pay for the month of October, and the denar reimbursement for projects carried out abroad up to the month of May this year.The `Mavrovo' management has also said that payment of hard currency reimbursement for these projects would be continued next year as well. The same applies to pay for November and December 1996, and food and travel reimbursements for `96. It has furthermore been revealed that a meeting with representatives of the Independent Trade Union has been scheduled in order to see how long the strike would continue. [10] UNCERTAINTY ON WHERE TO DISPOSE SKOPJE WASTE REMAINSMinister Jorgo Shundovski has decided to close the Skopje waste disposal facility `Vardarishte; whereas the head of `Community Hygiene' services Sejdo Teofilovski states that he has no intention to respect such a decision and that waste would continue to be forwarded to this facility - according to A-1 TV coverage. The head of community hygiene services assessed this Ministerial decision to be incomplete, as an alternative option has to be offered along with the prohibition to discard waste at `Vardarishte'.In addition to this it was said that `Community Hygiene' will not be allowed to discard waste generated in Skopje at the `Vardarishte' facility - concordant to provisions of the Law on Protecting and Improving Human Habitat and the Environment, which has been enacted yesterday. A-1 TV reports that for now it remains uncertain where the waste of Skopje would be taken to, from the city's streets, and whether upon another Ministerial decision the new `Drizla' facility will eventually be opened (as for now its use has not been permitted) - a bone of contention between city and national authorities and Skopje hygiene services for quite some time. The new mayor of Skopje Risto Penov has commented in reply to this decision that he supports the closing of `Vardarishte' and that he would reveal more definite data / views following the meeting with the head of `Community Hygiene'. [11] `ZLETOVO' OF VELES RESPONSIBLE FOR POISONING OF FISH IN THE VARDAR RIVERTwo days ago - one day prior to the enactment of the new Law on Protecting and Improving Human Habitat and Environment - an ecological disaster broke loose at Veles in the river Vardar, as a large amount of sulfuric acid has been spilled into the river, causing the death of app. two tons of fish.Media report that this `catastrophe' occurred at the `Zletovo' smeltery, as a vent broke upon filling the acid into an Albanian tanker - and 4 to 5 tons of this substance were dumped into the river. `Dnevnik' reports that the Macedonian Ministry of Urbanism, Civil Engineering and Ecology is to press charges against `Zletovo' for not having installed a draining system or a pool for toxic substances such as sulfuric acid at the loading station, which led to this incident (the spilling of the acid into the river). The Ministry would also prohibit further use of this station at `Zletovo'. In addition to this the Ministry of the Interior is to press criminal charges against the driver of the truck who contributed to this eco-incident by failing to close the safety vent. Appropriate legal provisions impose fines between 50 and 250 average pays for this sort of felonies in Macedonia. [12] PRESIDENT PARDONS 44 CONVICTSDue to the arrival of the new year, the Republic's President Kiro Gligorov has pardoned 44 convicts, according to MTV reports. Of these 9 cases have been granted complete clemency, whereas 35 cases have received reductions of the sentences due to be served.MILS SUPPLEMENT[13] `Without Restrictions Within the Social Sector'(`Nova Makedonija' - 24th December 1996)Several proposals have been submitted on covering unpaid pension and impairment insurance contributions... the rights of the unemployed should not be pruned any further... suspension of the Law on Personal Income... public debate on legal provisions affecting social - economic and employee rights spheres. Yesterday the Trade Union Federation of Macedonia (TUF) has forwarded its own recommendations concerning today's parliamentary discussion on measures outlined within macro- economic policy and the Budget, to: the Prime Minister, the Parliamentary Chairman, the Vice-President of the Government Ljube Trpeski; to the Ministries of Finance, Economy, Labour and Social Policy and to the Ministry of Economic Policy and Development. While stressing that it most authentically reflects the mood among employees, and evaluating the current social - economic position of citizens as alarming - the TUF is airing proposals on how to resolve issues concerning pension and impairment insurance, the insuring of unemployed, difficulties in salary payment and the necessity to establish a Social / Economic Council; in this paper addressed to MPs among other `target groups'. With regards to the problems on obtaining pension and impairment insurance contributions, it has been proposed by the Union to balance foreign demands with contribution dues - whereas debts towards the state and the Fund of other firms should be transformed into permanent deposits of the former, i.e. the latter. It has also been suggested to permit certain companies to sell their assets in order to settle their dues, to allow individual payment for those about to retire, and to prohibit the payment of personal income next year if those debts have not yet been settled by that time. Another recommended option was to forgive dues towards the Pension and Impairment Insurance Fund accrued throughout 1992 and 1993, and to reduce contribution rates for the years 1994 and 1995 from 50 to 20%. Interest rates upon paying of contributions and personal income tax should also be discarded, and a grace period for their settling should be determined. Those means not to be paid by certain companies therefore, or generated by the reduction of contribution rates for certain years, are to be covered by the state. Since registering that the new Law on Employment and Insurance which is being drafted at the moment, would entail infringements upon the rights of employees in case they were out of a job, the TUF recommends the alleviation of this condition. New legal provisions, nevertheless, outline that unemployed are to receive support for only 18 months instead of the 24 proscribed so far, with the provision that social and health care contributions would only be covered throughout the initial six months. The TUF has proposed that this kind of reimbursement amounts to 60% of the minimum income, whereas eligibility should be warranted until retirement or re-employment. In case of impaired people specific regulations would be required. Bearing in mind the fact that 29.9% (i.e. a total of 100 000) of all employees are not being paid, of which 20.9% fall off to the economic sector, as well as the fact that the legally determined quantum of money has not grown over 10% after the most recent wave of forwarded means to provide pay for workers - the TUF underlines the inevitability of suspending the Law on Personal Income. Another issue requiring immediate attention is the codification of a minimum personal income limit, and the increasingly frequent violations of the Collective Agreement by withholding the 13th pay, food and travel expenses. The paper further contains the repeated appeal to establish a Social - Economic Council. The TUF points out that the National Budget for next year does not contain significant improvements, and that macro- economic difficulties are being `patched up' by further downsizing of the social and economic spheres, on account of the employees, pensioners and those left without work. Therefore the TUF put forward several demands: labour should be considered a serious reform factor in Parliament and Government papers; social justice should be the `spiritus movens' of social evolution; the Government should revise its macro-economic policy and propose such measures advancing production growth; unemployment should be decreased; pay should reflect rises in living expenses; and retirement pensions should be paid regularly. In the end it has been suggested to delay discussing the offered acts of law affecting the social -economic and employment rights spheres ( the Amendments to the new Retirement Pension and Employment Laws), in order to stage a public debate involving the TUF as well. (end)mils news 26 December 1996Macedonian Information Liaison Service Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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