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MILS NEWS 96-08-29Macedonian Information Liaison Service Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: "Macedonian Information Liaison Service" <mils@mils.spic.org.mk>CONTENTS
MILS SUPPLEMENTMILS NEWSSkopje, 29 August, 1996[01] GERMAN PRESIDENT ROMAN HERZOG IS COMING TO MACEDONIAMacedonian Radio reported that President of the Federal Republic of Germany Roman Herzog is going to pay a visit to Macedonia on September 9-10, 1996. The radio reported an information of diplomatic sources in Bonn that President Herzog's visit had been initially planned for the end of this or for the beginning of the next year, but was rescheduled due to an invitation from Macedonian President Kiro Gligorov and on insisting of the German party. This is understood in Bonn, as alleged, as strengthening of German support to the development of Macedonia and the efforts of the country to join West European associations. According to Macedonian Radio, German President might be joined by a group of German businessmen and financial experts.[02] MACEDONIA IS ASKING FOR AN EXTENSION OF UNPREDEP MANDATEThe Republic of Macedonia has asked from UN Security Council to extend the mandate of UNPREDEP Mission in Macedonia for another six months, 'Dnevnik' daily reported the information of sources close to the Macedonian Government. The current mandate of UNPREDEP should end on November 30, 1996. During the procedure of the previous mandate extending in May, 1996, UN Security Council recommended to UN Secretary General Boutros Boutros Ghali to check the situation with the UN forces in Macedonia and to offer an option for their reducing. The Resolution from May 30 was not signed by the Russian UN Ambassador, who required a four-months extension. Russian suggestion was to have a political UN Mission in Macedonia with 170 international civil observers. 'Dnevnik' read that UNPREDEP mandate in Macedonia was a 'problematic' issue for Greece, as well, and that the stand of Cyprus was also unclear.[03] AMERICAN REPRESENTATIVES IN NATO TODAY IN MACEDONIAUSA representative in the North Atlantic Alliance Ambassador Robert Hunter will arrive to Macedonia today for a two-days visit, Macedonian Television reported. He is going to meet with President of Macedonia Kiro Gligorov, with Ambassadors of NATO member countries, Macedonian Ministers of Foreign Affairs Ljubomir Frchkovski and of Defense Blagoj Handziski, as well as the Special Representative of the UN Secretary- General in Macedonia Mr. Henryk Sokalski. Ambassador Hunter will discuss issues in context of the 'Partnership for Peace' Programme and Macedonian participation in it, as well as the extension of NATO.[04] INFORMATION ON THE ECONOMIC SITUATION IN MACEDONIAFinance Minister of the Republic of Macedonia Taki Fiti, at a meeting he had with the US Ambassador to Macedonia Christopher Hill, talked about the economic situation in the country, underlying the successful carrying out of the macroeconomic stabilization and of the reforms of the crucial segments of the economic system. The official announcement about the meeting said that US Ambassador had been informed about the current connections and cooperation of Macedonia with the World Bank and the IMF, as well as about the situation with the Macedonian debt to the Paris Club and the expected agreements with London Club creditors. The extraordinary good cooperation of Macedonian Finance Ministry with the American Agency for Reconstruction and Development was emphasized.[05] ACTIVITIES OF AMBASSADOR MILOSAVLEVSKI IN BELGRADELocal media reported yesterday that the first Macedonian Ambassador to FR Yugoslavia Slavko Milosavlevski had handed the copies of the accreditive letters to the Yugoslav Foreign Minister Milan Milutinovic. During the talks, both officials had expressed their satisfaction with the development of bilateral relations and stressed the importance of the complete implementation of the Agreement on regulation of the relations between the two countries. Today, Ambassador Milosavlevski is expected to be received by FR Yugoslav President Zoran Lilic, to whom he should give the accreditive letters. Macedonian Ambassador should begin his activities with preparations for the forthcoming visit of the Yugoslav Prime minister Radoje Kontic to Macedonia.Milosavlevski's coming to Belgrade had been reported by all Yugoslav media, but the pro-governmental papers 'Vecernje Novosti' and 'Politika Ekspres' had used the reference 'FYROM' in their articles, although FR Yugoslavia had recognized Macedonia under its Constitutional name. Meanwhile, Macedonian Foreign Ministry announced yesterday that Macedonian-Yugoslav joint Commission for Establishing of Border Line would be constituted on September 2, when both parties would exchange opinions about the way and methods of the work. As alleged, the leader of the Yugoslav part of the Commission will be the Ambassador Radomir Bogdanovic. [06] REACTIONS OF GREEK OPPOSITION TO PANGALOS'S STATEMENTAccording to Macedonian media, the recent statement made by Greek Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos that 'economic relations between Skopje and Athens were very good' has provoked severe reactions of Greek opposition parties, especially of New Democracy, which is the greatest rival of the ruling party of PASOK. Opposition paper 'Elefteros Tipos' published a statement of a New Democracy representative Prokopis Pavlopoulos, by which he had accused Pangalos of the way he had expressed the satisfaction with the development of relations with Skopje. 'It is well known that PASOK had chosen the bad strategy of the small package and had signed the Accord, leaving the name an open issue,' said Pavlopoulos, adding that the name issue was 'stuck'.[07] SOCIAL INSURANCE CONVENTION WITH SWITZERLAND HARMONIZEDDelegations of the Republic of Macedonia and of Switzerland had been negotiating the signing of a Social Insurance Convention during the last two days, Macedonian Labour and Social Security Ministry announced. The Convention regulates issues of pensions and disability insurance, health insurance, insurance of unemployed and children's allowance. Delegates informed each others about the regulations of both countries in this field and discussed the problems in applying of the previous Convention, as well as the possible news which should be introduced in the new one.[08] MACEDONIAN ORGANISATION 'RAINBOW' IN GREECE IN A COALITION WITH GREEK LEFT WING PARTY'Rainbow', an organisation of Macedonians in Greece, will appear at the elections in a coalition with the Greek left wing party 'Organisation for Renewal of the Communist Party of Greece', Macedonian Television reported. Their declaration reads that the coalition defends the European option of the Republic of Greece and its membership in the EU and intercedes for friendly relations with all neighbouring countries. The coalition partners, on the other hand, disagree with any ethnic, religious, collective or individual discrimination and require for all Macedonian refugees to be allowed to come back to Greece without any conditions. They also criticize Greek policy of changing the demographic structure in the areas where Macedonians live.Pavle Vaskopulos, a member of the Central Council and of the Political Secretariat of 'Rainbow', stated for Macedonian Radio that their coalition partner had constantly supported their organisation in the conflicts about the Macedonian issue. According to him, the co-operation, which was offered by the Greek party, will be based on the democratic principles of Macedonian movement, i.e. according to the strategy of 'Rainbow' to penetrate in the Greek society and to gain the co-operation and support of the Greek citizens. The intention of 'Rainbow' members is to contact the representatives of the other political institutions in Greece. [09] SESSION STOPPED AFTER DISCUSSION ON COPYRIGHTMacedonian MPs yesterday accepted the Agenda for the 51st Parliament session and ended the discussion about the Draft Law on Copyright. Then, on a request of the members of SDSM and of the Socialist Party, the session was discontinued and rescheduled for Tuesday.Culture Minister Slobodan Unkovski explained that the goals of the Law on Copyright are introducing and regulating new copyrights, which would be in accordance with the international conventions and EU regulations. Realization and protection of copyright will be harmonized with the new political and social system, protect the creating part of the society and encourage scientific, cultural and other kinds of creativity, while severe sanctions are established for breaking the Law. Vladimir Sokolovski suggested an Institute for Intellectual Ownership to be established. [10] LIBERALS NOTIFIED A BOYCOTT OF THE LOCAL ELECTIONSThe Liberal Party will boycott the forthcoming elections in case their objections to the Law on Local Elections are not accepted, today's issues of 'Dnevnik' daily reads, adding that a similar move might be made by VMRO-DPMNE and the Democratic Party.The liberals mostly object to the half-established majority electoral system in the elections for mayors. They are looking for a solution for two candidates only to enter the second round, as the current regulations allow to all candidates who would win 10% of the votes to enter the second round. The Liberal Party also objects to the right given to the Assembly to release the mayor from duty, and insists electoral identity cards to be introduced at these elections. According to 'Dnevnik', Democratic Party representatives also object to the 10% quota established for the candidates to enter the second round and to the decision for electoral IDs not to be used at these elections. VMRO-DPMNE representatives object to the number of citizens established who could nominate somebody for a mayor, and consider the establishing of the identity of voters by a personal ID or a passport as leaving enough space for manipulations. The stand of the Party for Democratic Prosperity is, 'Dnevnik' reads, that the Law on Local Elections guarantees fair elections, which they had concluded after three-days talks with SDSM representatives. [11] FOOTBALL CLUB 'VARDAR' PUNISHED FOR THE BEHAVIOUR OF ITS FANSThe Discipline Commission of Macedonian Football Union yesterday decided to punish the Football Club 'Vardar' with DM 20,000 because its members had not dissociated from the insults which their fans had been addressing to the President of the Football Union Ljubisav Ivanov - Zingo during the last four years. Mr. Ivanov is also a member of the Macedonian Parliament, a President of the Socialist Party and a General Manager of 'Sileks' company. The Director of the Club Dragan Tomovski and the Commissar Jovica Petrovski were also punished with DM 10,000 each, and with a ban to do their work for five, i.e. two years accordingly. Club Director, the Secretary General Mihailo Kjoshev and the team member Zoran Jovanovski have been punished for other things, such as forging of an annex contract, which makes a total sum of DM 48,000 to be paid by the Club of 'Vardar'.MILS SUPPLEMENT[12] 'Offer Is Rich, Choice Is Ours' - Part 2('Vecer', 24 August, 1996)SWISS concept has several sources for the pensions fund: state pensions system, private pensions plans, which can be either obligatory or voluntary, and personal savings. The combination of different financing methods means that both demographic and investment risks are lessened, which might be good for the situation in Macedonia. Switzerland, however, has a great advantage in its powerful financial institutions and well developed market of capital. The UNITED STATES OF AMERICA also have a three-party pension system: state pensions, voluntary companies' pensions or pension plans of employers, and individual pension contracts, i.e. individually bought annuities. The most useful characteristics of the state pensions is the long- term planning , by which problems can be solved in advance. Namely, the plans are made for at least 75 years. The American voluntary pension system would not be good to be accepted for us, because of two great disadvantages: only about 46% of the employed participate in the plan sponsored by the employer and a great number of those included in the plan lose the money collected if they leave their companies. On the contrary, the individual pensions accounts concept might be applied in Macedonia, after the details are well reexamined, since the American regulations are acceptable for their tax system. AUSTRALIAN state pension system is closer to Macedonian public welfare system than to the pension insurance one. Therefore, its applying would require a significant change of the purpose of out pension system, which is why it is hardly acceptable. CHILE had privatized their previous state pension system, but it was financed by the 'pay-as-you-go' system (the money obtained from fees were immediately paid to pensioners), which provoked is fast bankruptcy. Its specific combination of characteristics makes it different than pension systems in other countries. Unless the initial investments are profitable, such a system might be disastrous for any country, not mention Macedonia where there are no basic conditions for it to succeed. Although it functions successfully in FRANCE, this system had not been copied by any other country. The specific French 'pay-as-you-go' method, made of private sector pension plans combined with its aspects of solidarity appears difficult for applying anywhere else. GERMAN system also seems inapplicable for Macedonia, although it is a great example. German companies had, in periods of economic difficulties, used the 'book reserves' financing of their pensions (company obliges itself to pay the pensions in future without having any separate funds for that purpose at the moment, as pensions money are considered invested in the companies). Because of long term financial problems, ITALY reorganized its pension system a year ago. It is not known whether any other country uses this kind of a 'formula', nor were there any statistical proofs that such changes would make a financial balance. FINLAND is a country far away from Macedonia, but is a good example of a country which separates the compensation for those injured at work and professional illnesses from the normal payments for disabled persons. Regarding the privatization that is being carried out in Macedonia, it would be useful to study it, in order to increase the responsibility of companies in financing of their own contributions for injuries at work and professional illnesses. It is also obvious that insurance companies must be capable of estimating the risks, to record the experience from the requests and establish certain compensations for the workers. We might conclude that although there is a wide range of pension systems, none of them might be fully copied and applied in Macedonia. Being familiar with all of them and a careful analysis of their characteristics would widen our knowledge and alleviate the choice of the best alternative. It needs a lot of work, mostly for our experts and competent institutions, in order to establish stable finances in the field of pensions. (end)mils news 29 August, 1996Macedonian Information Liaison Service Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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