The municipality of Kisela Voda, in an attempt to help citizens get through the winter more easily during the energy crisis, announced this autumn a public call for subsidies for the purchase of firewood. According to the first-come-first-served principle, that is, until the funds in the budget provided for that purpose are exhausted, the citizens who applied were to be paid a subsidy of MKD 500 per cubic meter of wood, and for a maximum of 10 cubic meters.

Residents of Kisela Voda, who heat their homes with wood, became interested, applied and received subsidies. According to the information from the Municipality, over 400 requests were approved.

A total of 447 were opened, 434 were approved, while 13 requests were rejected due to incomplete documentation. The rest of the received requests were not opened in order to observe the criterion stated in the public call, that the selection was made on a first-come-first-served basis, until the planned funds in the amount of MKD 1 were exhausted - say Kisela Voda.

However, some of the citizens who received the subsidies claim that they were paid less than the promised 500 denars.

When they paid me the money, instead of 500 denars per cubic meter, I received 350 denars. I really don't understand how this amount was determined, when in the public call he wrote a specific amount of 500 denars - a resident of the Pintija settlement responded to our editorial office.

The Municipality of Kisela Voda says that in a completely transparent process they paid the applicants for the firewood subsidy, who fulfilled the set criteria of the announced announcement, and at the same time, they vehemently deny the statements that less funds were paid per cubic meter of firewood. However, as they say, there was a lower payment for some citizens due to the difference between a cubic meter and the required one.

 As it was stated in the public call, all citizens who submitted evidence - confirmation, consignment note or official document confirming the purchase of firewood within the given time limit, received 500 denars for each cubic meter. The problem reported to you, we assume, is due to the fact that in certain timber purchase notes, the quantity was stated in due meters and not in cubic meters. According to the calculation methodology made by "Macedonian Forests", one owed meter corresponds to 0.7 cubic meters, which is probably why the citizens think that less funds have been paid to them. As an illustration, if they submitted a receipt for the purchase of 10 cubic meters, they received payment for 7 cubic meters. This is the methodology that is also used by the PE "Macedonian Forests" in the sale and collection of firewood - explains the Municipality of Kisela Voda.

Moreover, as they add, the amount paid is also subject to a personal tax of 10 percent, which is a legal obligation for every citizen.

The Municipality emphasizes that they are open to citizens and that their services are here to provide answers to such and similar questions from citizens at any time. Specifically for firewood, information can be obtained at 02/2785427, but also electronically via e-mail or through the social networks of Kisela Voda Municipality.