A massive operation of data collection and coordination between the institutions is carried out by the Ministry of Justice, and the final result will be translated into a legal solution that will enable write-off of debts to public enterprises. However, the citizens have been waiting for this law for five months now, because the interest rates are accumulating and the executors have their hands full. The write-off of interest is the only measure from the Fifth Economic Package, which was adopted in February this year and is directly aimed at citizens.

- This solution should be the result of mutual cooperation of several ministries, numerous institutions and bodies. The Ministry of Justice has started a process of coordination and working meetings with stakeholders, in order to define the measure. It can be expected that it will soon be processed in the bill entered into government procedure - Responded for "Free Press" from the Ministry of Justice.

The write-off of interest rates is the only measure from the Fifth Anti-Crisis Package, which requires the adoption of a law. According to the announcements, the interest rates on the debts of the citizens made by November 2020 should be written off, with an obligation to pay the main debt. State officials have repeatedly emphasized that there will be a public call to which interested citizens can apply for five months.

- We give the opportunity to every citizen to get an interest write-off, if he previously reprogrammed to repay the basic debt of 12 months. This means that the reprogrammer must prove it and start repaying it. The mechanism will be that the interest will be written off in the accounting, but if after the first month it does not continue with the fulfillment of the contractual conditions, the default interest will start to flow as it did before - said on one occasion the Deputy Prime Minister Fatmir Bitiqi, with the belief that there are mechanisms to prevent possible abuse by citizens.

What the new law will contain is not disclosed, but it is known that only state and municipal companies will be obliged to write off interest rates, and private companies are given subtle recommendations to get involved in the operation. Unlike previous such actions, now there will be a larger coverage of citizens, who will be able to request write-off of interest. However, then all those who had debts were registered until a certain period and according to the old law, the write-off was valid only for the citizens whose debts were given for execution and were made as of December 31, 2017. It is not known whether the new legal solution will allow reprogramming of the debt in 12 installments, and as a reminder, previously the main debt could be paid from six to 48 monthly installments depending on the amount. The government recommended that EVN, BEG, telecom operators, law firms and others also write off and reprogram. Last year's Law on Interest Write-Off and Reprogramming of Debts and Expenditures of Individuals was implemented for three months, from February 19 to May 18, 2020.

Citizens and trade unions are cheering for the law to be passed as soon as possible, in order to avoid executors and blocked accounts. In the latest report, the Ombudsman, in a separate section, addresses the rights of consumers in the daily use of public services by companies, public enterprises and various mobile operators. According to the data, 218 complaints in this area were processed.

Нold electricity bills will be problematic

It is estimated that the write-off should cover at least 180 thousand citizens, but those familiar with this issue are the most skeptical about how and whether the old electricity bills will be resolved, some of which date back to before 2000.

- EVN Macedonia, as was the case in several previous initiatives related to this issue, is committed to complete and systematic solutions to the problem of arrears. In that regard, we believe that partial write-off of receivables, ie only the interest on some receivables, will not significantly contribute to solving the problem of arrears of users. If there is an official decision, we will review it and think about it - they said recently for "Free Press" from EVN Macedonia.