PM Gruevski announces higher salaries for doctors

Salaries of doctors in the emergency departments, doctors-specialists in public health institutions and pharmacists-specialists will increase, says Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski.

"I believe they deserve this. The collective bargaining agreement has been amended in order to increase their salaries. People do their jobs but their salaries are relatively low", says Gruevski in an interview with Sitel TV station.

This follows the recent decision to increase the salaries of nurses with university education.

According to Gruevski, the minimum salary will also increase to MKD 10.080 (EUR 164) as of January.

Regarding the latest political developments in the country, the PM says, "We are not fighting with somebody who is using political means, we are facing individuals who are fighting with extremely criminal means. It is not easy for us to respond to this adequately".

Gruevski says he is shocked at what has come to light and revealed by the Basic Public Prosecutor’s Office.

The Public Prosecution, he adds, has discovered equipment and materials procured to forge passports, ID cards and other personal documents. It has also found computers which contained fake documents in order to be used to discredit high-ranking VMRO-DPMNE officials.

“It turns out we are working to open plants, create new jobs and find a way for young people to buy their own houses, allocate subsidies to farmers and rise the salaries of doctors and other health professionals, while others are using different means, i.e. forgery of passports, so as to discredit high party officials with the ultimate goal to have the forthcoming elections postponed,” he notes.

Gruevski says SDSM is doing everything to stall the electoral process.

"SDSM would be overjoyed if there are no elections. We believe elections must be held. The things they did during the year must be resolved at the elections. They must face the people, not run and set conditions not seen in any other country", he adds.

Gruevski believes all conditions for handover of the wiretapped materials to the Special Prosecutor's Office have been met.

"These are hard disk drives including materials illegally possessed by SDSM, which storage does not require much space", underlines PM Gruevski.