The situation we inherited in really difficult, but that only makes our determination to work stronger, said Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski at the presentation of the work of the Government in its first 100 days.

We inherited a country in which the annual budget was spent in just the first six months of the year, where young people are emigrating, and 600,000 people live with 150 denars a day. But that only makes us more motivated to get back on the right track, said Mickoski.

He pointed out the increase in retirement incomes – which is now being done equally for all retirees, the allocation of 250 million EUR for local infrastructure investments where 80 municipalities are competing with 357 projects, reduction in drug prices, and the hiring of 600 new doctors. The Prime Minister cited the 4 major investments totaling 600 million EUR that were announced in the past 100 days – the project for a major wind farm near Stip, a large research and development center near Petrovec, Wabtec’s new railway car manufacturing line and the plans of the German BMZ Group to produce lit-ion batteries in Macedonia.

The Government was able to normalize the issuing of passports and other identity documents, provide free textbooks for all public school students and resume construction on the long delayed Stip general hospital and the student campuses in Skopje. Prices of the most produced wine grapes have reached record highs and revenue from the road tolls and the Customs Office have increased significantly – indicating widespread corruption in the past. The Interior Ministry was key in initiating a major investigation into tax fraud in Strumica.

In the previous week, the Government reduced profit margins on 70 staple products, began the procedure to add a third cell phone operator to the market, and provided air ticket subsidies that will help bring 200,000 additional tourists. Industrial production grew by 3.8 percent and the salaries are up by 12 percent. A number of public institutions that were badly delayed in paying their employees were brought up to track, including the large Macedonian Forests company and the debt of the Public Healthcare Fund.