Mickoski: The Customs Administration is an important segment and pillar for the stability of the state in the fight against crime and corruption.

“The director mentioned what approximately happened in the month of July, and I will share what we expect to happen. We anticipate a record-breaking and unconditional fight against crime, which, unfortunately, has been prevalent in the past. I want to emphasize that through this struggle and the resulting achievements, we expect greater inflows into the budget,” Mickoski said today during a visit to the Customs Administration.

“These increased budget inflows will enable us to allocate more funds for capital investments and for the reforms we plan to implement. It will no longer operate according to previous principles; the numbers themselves indicate that.

The Customs Administration is a significant segment and a crucial pillar for stability and the fight against crime, corruption, and illicit trade. Therefore, they will have my full support, but I expect extremely serious results. If anyone thinks it will be like before, they are seriously mistaken. Everyone should be aware of this. This applies to all officers of the Customs Administration, whether they are at border crossings, in mobile teams, or in the administrative building.

If anyone believes they have the right to act outside the law simply because they are part of this system, they are wrong. They will be caught, brought to justice, and severely punished. There will be no considerations of political, ethnic, or religious affiliation. This should be clear to everyone. As long as I lead the government, this will be the operating principle. The day I no longer lead the government, others can do as they see fit. If someone doesn’t like this principle, they are free to seek employment elsewhere or pursue another path, as more experienced people might say.

The law must apply to everyone. I repeat, there will be no considerations of political, ethnic, or religious affiliation. The law must be enforced uniformly across the entire territory. Anyone caught, whether they are from Debar, Delchevo, Kumanovo, or Gevgelija, I personally guarantee will be brought to justice. No one has the right to steal from the people.

No one has the right to steal from the state, and no one has the right to jeopardize the future of those who will inherit it. That is why I once again congratulate Boban, the team, and the employees here in the Customs Administration for the results they achieved in July. Although the numbers don’t quite align with what the opposition claims, I must say that this is not enough. I expect an even fiercer fight against those corrupt segments—there are only a few of them, but we’ve identified them within the Customs Administration. The fight against them will continue until justice is fully served,” stressed Mickoski.