MILS: News from the FYROM, 97-03-31

Macedonian Information Liaison Service Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

From: "Macedonian Information Liaison Service" <mils@mils.spic.org.mk>

CONTENTS

[01] NEW NAMES EMERGE IN `TAT' BANKING SCANDAL

[02] INITIATIVE TO ESTABLISH A GREEK-MACEDONIAN PARLIAMENTARY COMMISSION OF FRIENDSHIP AND COOPERATION

[03] KLAUS KINCKEL: `NO GRAVITATING PROBLEMS BETWEEN BULGARIA AND MACEDONIA'

[04] FLYER PROMOTING `GREATER ALBANIA'

[05] ON MACEDONIAN ECONOMY IN THE BEGINNING OF THIS YEAR...

[06] SO FAR MACEDONIAN STOCK EXCHANGE MADE 1.58 MILLION DM IN PROFIT

[07] TRENDS OF THE HARD CURRENCY MARKET

[08] DEPT. OF HEALTH: `OPPONENTS KNOWN, JOURNALISTS MANIPULATED'

[09] DNEVNIK: `ANOTHER PYRAMID IN THE STOCK EXCHANGE'

[10] FIVE ARMS-DEALERS AND FOUR DRUG-DEALERS APPREHENDED

MILS SUPPLEMENT

[11] `Macedonia Has a Good Multi-Party System' (`Nova Makedonija')

[12] `Macedonians Pessimistic As Regards Better Life' (`Dnevnik')

MILS NEWS

Skopje, 31 March, 1997

[01] NEW NAMES EMERGE IN `TAT' BANKING SCANDAL

The District Attorney's Office at Bitola announced that the Mayor and his spouse have been arrested on grounds of abusing their office and authorities. The D.A. Office press release further indicates the involvement of Mayor Micevski and other parties in this affair. In this context mentioned names include those of the spouse of the current Minister of Civil Engineering, Urbanism and Environmental Protection within the Macedonian Government - Jorgo Shundovski and the daughter of the previous incumbent for this sector (Antonio Peshev).

According to the Bitola D.A. Office Mayor Micevski (who is also the Director of the `Pelister' Construction Contractor), his spouse and the also apprehended `TAT' owner Sonja Nikolovska had incited the now also arrested Director of the Payment Flow Institute in Bitola Julijana Atanasovska to conduct several money transfers to a `TAT' bank account from numerous businesses at Bitola. This had been necessary as the bank had been confronted with serious liquidity problems and an imminent collapse. This affected the Micevski couple due o the fact that they had deposited over 1.5 million DM in `TAT' bank accounts (on the name of Violeta Micevska and their daughter Tatjana Micevska). The transferred funds of the `Pelister' Construction Contractor (10 million denars), the Bitola Dairy Industry (15 million denars) and the Public Facility for Dealing with Business Premises (200 000 denars) thus served to refund the savings of the Micevski family, of Nada Shundovska (spouse Minister Jorgo Shundovski) who had savings worth 100 000 DM and those of the three-year-old daughter of the former Transportation and Communications Minister Antonio Peshev. The D.A. Office press release immediately entailed the response of Ms. Shundovska who admitted having a `TAT' bank account on behalf of her friends in Germany - while Antonio Peshev completely denied all accusations. Another press statement was made by Minister Shundovski who denied all speculations as regards a possible resignation - on grounds that the savings of his wife, i.e. their friends in Germany, had not been deposited at the `TAT' Bank.

Bitola, however, abounds in rumours on the most different personalities being involved in the banking scandal. Such speculations are only being rekindled by claims that the managers of around 10 major businesses had been invited to the police for informative talks - including several associates of Mayor Micevski. This is being confirmed by the fact that the Under-Secretary of the Ministry of the Interior of Macedonia, Dime Gjurev, has been staying in Bitola over several days, personally heading investigations and the interrogation of numerous public figureheads of Bitola's Police Dept.

MTV reports that NBM supervisor Gazmen Kadriu returned to Skopje yesterday, after a journey to Bitola. During meetings with Finance Minister Taki Fiti and NBM Governour Borko Stanoevski, the NBM official presented the outcomes of investigations conducted so far with respect to the `TAT' banking scandal. It is being expected - MTV reports - that these data mainly revolve around the liabilities of the bank and its fund placements. The public is to be acquainted with them today.

[02] INITIATIVE TO ESTABLISH A GREEK-MACEDONIAN PARLIAMENTARY COMMISSION OF FRIENDSHIP AND COOPERATION

While encouraging the political leadership structures of both countries to take advantage of the favourable political climate to cooperate, Constandopoulos revealed a planned joint initiative to establish a Commission of Friendship and Cooperation on a parliamentary level. This body would be comprised of representatives of all political parties, who would be engaged in promoting concepts of cooperation and good neighbourliness.

[03] KLAUS KINCKEL: `NO GRAVITATING PROBLEMS BETWEEN BULGARIA AND MACEDONIA'

[04] FLYER PROMOTING `GREATER ALBANIA'

Europe will never approve of an Albania as we want it.

Thus let us take things into our own hands and create it ourselves. Let us lay aside all differences and unite to achieve the common goal - permanently establish an Albania which had been denied to us.' The leaflet - as `Makpress' reports - asks all Albanians from Kosovo, Macedonia and Greece - as well as Albania proper - `to pick up their guns'.

A-1 TV reveals that in New York the leader of the Kosovo Albanians Ibrahim Rugova has stated with respect to the Serb-Albanian dialogue upon the Kosovo issue, that Albanians in that region would advocated the option of setting up Kosovo as an independent state. In this sense Rugova asked the US and the EU to engage themselves actively to resolve the Kosovo problem. Negotiations between Serbia and Kosovo as regards the latter are to be continued in the beginning of April this year, under the auspices of a US- based NGO.

[05] ON MACEDONIAN ECONOMY IN THE BEGINNING OF THIS YEAR...

In the beginning of this year employment rates have also taken a dive by 2 000 to 3 000 a month. Thus in January the number of those with a job in the country amounted to 336 200, while 245 100 people have been seeking employment. The plunge of employment rates was particularly felt in the economic sector, which has not been the case with the non-economic sector.

Revenues for public needs, i.e. for the augmenting of the National and Municipal Budgets, as well as for the Health, Retirement Pension and Social Security and Unemployment Funds have - according to `Nova Makedonija' - been both nominally and factually improved. In February the National Budget obtained 3.2 billion denars - compared to the 2.7 billion gathered in January. Thus the Retirement Pension and Health Insurance Fund obtained around 200 million denars more this month. This is above all due to the fact that tax control and inspections with the largest Budget beneficiaries have been upscaled.

So far (as of the beginning of this year) the number of unemployment benefits recipients has also increased up to the number of 52 000. Most of these represent laid-off and technologically redundant employees. The last average income registered by the Macedonian Development Ministry totalled about 350 DM - which corresponds to last year's level for this time span. In January the number of those not having received any income for a month or more, has grown by 23 000 - and of the last figure of 169 300 cases of this sort, the majority (over 123 000) has not been given any pay for more than three months.

[06] SO FAR MACEDONIAN STOCK EXCHANGE MADE 1.58 MILLION DM IN PROFIT

`Nova Makedonija' informed that based on data listed in this report, most of the purchases last year had been conducted on the third market, i.e. 47. 38% of all transactions fell off to the latter. The corresponding figures for the primary market and the secondary one amount to 41.5% and 11.2% respectively. In the opinion of Stock Exchange Director Evgenij Zografski - and bearing in mind the most recent legal solutions on stock trading which promote the transaction of the latter within the Exchange - the role of the third market segment should continue to gain in strength, as there are no specific requirements to quote firms on this market. In this context Zografski added that there are still certain extra-institutional obstacles to the operating of the Stock Exchange - i.e. group of stakeholders who have not yet found it in their interest to enter the Stock Exchange in order to develop as a business entity. While assessing that such side-effects are to vanish within economy, by reforming the latter, Zografski stated that in order to mark the first anniversary on 28th March the FY '97 would be the first ensuring more positive results in Stock Exchange activities.

[07] TRENDS OF THE HARD CURRENCY MARKET

Nevertheless, the several-day intervention on the hard currency market by the additional offering of hard currency - brought about by the increase of exchange rates due to the `TAT' banking scandal - appears to have had a certain positive impact in meeting the demand and in soothing the uncontrolled growth of hard currency exchange rates. At exchange offices the latter has settled at the relatively stable values of 27.80 up to 27.90 denars per DM as the selling rate - while the purchasing rate amounts to 27.60 denars.

As regards the hard currency market of the business and banking sector (mainly handled via `Komercijalna' and `Stopanska' banka), offer and demand have been rather balanced without any further upsetting.

[08] DEPT. OF HEALTH: `OPPONENTS KNOWN, JOURNALISTS MANIPULATED'

Following a lengthy expose on the public and the secret confrontation of the state system versus the private pharmacy sector - Minister Filipche indicated that he had not given up the fight yet - assessing that his credibility as a Minister and as regards the work he has been conducting is only to be judged by the people.

Private pharmacies had staged this drama, since they lost a huge portion of their profits for the benefit of an efficient health care system, together with is colleagues who preferred to meet in Skopje's taverns instead of hospital wards, instead of pushing forward health reforms... Minister Filipche stated. In response to the issue of contaminated blood reserves and the lack of controls, which is why numerous operations have been cancelled throughout Skopje hospitals these days, the Minister said that a special ministerial Commission was to be formed to examine the matter - as the Minister adhered to a regular globally-implemented policy - and those discovered to be responsible for these misconditions would be held liable and suspended.

`Vecher' reveals that the problem with contaminated blood donations - a burning issue since a few days - had already been overcome by introducing control procedures. According to information released by the National Transfusiology Institute, the announced contingency of 8 000 test kits arrived last Friday, which entailed the immediate analysis of the 771 uncontrolled blood units, which were stored away as reserves.

[09] DNEVNIK: `ANOTHER PYRAMID IN THE STOCK EXCHANGE'

According to Kosta Simonovski who has 30 000 DM `trapped' in this institution since 1993 with a monthly interest rate of 2.5%. The same applies to around 200 citizens, who have not received any interest rate payments since September 1995 either. The above mentioned daily also reports that inspectors of the Public Revenues Dept. have examined the entire documentation these days, as well as that access to all accounts has been barred. This public facility has been formed (according to Director Ilindenko Stravjanov) by 27 firms, including the agricultural complexes `Bitola'. `Shtip', `Lozar' of Veles, `Astibo' of Shtip, etc.

[10] FIVE ARMS-DEALERS AND FOUR DRUG-DEALERS APPREHENDED

MILS SUPPLEMENT

[11] `Macedonia Has a Good Multi-Party System'

(`Nova Makedonija' - 28th March 1997)

The Commission for Relations with SE Europe within the European Parliament, which (headed by German MP Ms. Doris Pack) has paid a short visit to Macedonia last December - released its report covering the economic and political conditions in Macedonia, inter-ethnic relations and international relations and the rating of the country within the international community. On all these issues the European delegation had been briefed by highest- ranking Government representatives. members of parliament and by non-parliamentary opposition parties.

The Report states that there is a well-established multi- party system in Macedonia, although inter-ethnic relations are of key significance to the development of domestic politics. The Commission is further convinced that even `unaddressed issues in this domain keep the country from concentrating on social and economic issues.' In spite of the fact that legislative acts on the protection of minority rights have been assessed favourably, the European delegation considers that `the Government should increase its activity as regards the guaranteed full implementation of the right to education, especially while bearing in mind the substantial Albanian minority.' The representatives of the European Parliament are also convinced that the `good will exhibited by the Government and precise legislation adopted by the Parliament are prerequisite to the training of a sufficient number of educational workers to provide education in minority languages', as well as that authorities need to do more `to promote the cultural and civic rights of minorities, and to avert the radicalisation of the Albanian minority.'

For Euro-MP Doris Pack this has not been the first visit to Macedonia, whose inter-ethnic troubles she had been monitoring thoroughly; even during her preceding visit a little over a year ago this politician addressed the same issue in an interview for `Nova Makedonija': `...I have repeatedly advocated the evolving of the Pedagogical Faculty as much as possible, in order to absorb some of the tension created by higher education in Albanian.'

With respect to the political situation in the country - the Report assesses the same as good, while last year's elections have been denoted as fair. The economic situation is marked by a series of structural problems, the document states, upon adding that economic reforms and the privatisation programme affecting the business sector and agriculture embody a good way to obtain international support which will facilitate the implementation stages of these reforms. The European Parliament has further expressed its content as regards economic cooperation between Macedonia and the region, though it mainly depends on foreign investments into the country which are far from sufficient. In this sense the improvement of relations with Greece plays a relevant role.

In the same section of the Report favourable assessments are also passed on conducted endeavours by all major political parties to achieve integration into Europe. This European Commission has further already given its blessing with respect to the finalisation of the Cooperation Agreement between the EU and Macedonia.

[12] `Macedonians Pessimistic As Regards Better Life'

(`Dnevnik' - 28th March 1997)

According to a European-wide survey the Macedonian public is not content with the democratisation of the country (57%). The percentage is similar with respect to the implementation of human rights. Compiled questionnaires indicate that 43% of the Macedonian population thinks the country is adhering to a positive course, while in response to the future perspective of the country the EU and the US prevail as allies of popular choice. This does not apply to Russia, which has not been mentioned even once. Public opinion resembles the preceding view again with respect to Bulgaria. Only 10% of the population are content with the course the country has taken, while 5% are happy with the democratisation process. A mere 13% of Macedonians think that their standard of living has improved in comparison to before - whereas 37% are optimistic with respect to an improvement of their financial situation.

These data have been collected by `Eurobarometer', an institution of the European Commission, while conducting public opinion research in Central and East European countries last November - in connection to the mood of the public in times of transition and economic reforms.

Based on their research it has been concluded that 75% of the population in Albania consider their standard has improved, as well as that it will be subjected to a further rise this year. Only 43% of the Macedonians consider market economy a favourable future option for the country.

Research reveals that Albanians are the greatest optimists, as they are content with both the ongoing democratisation and the respecting of human rights, or the course their country is taking. Similarly optimistic responses have been obtained to these questions by Yugoslav nationals.

(end)

mils news 31 March 1997

Macedonian Information Liaison Service Directory - Previous Article - Next Article