• With salaries of 1,000 Euros mayors manage to repay loans, get new ones, and buy cars and land
• Ismail Jahoski has reported 69,000 Euros “otherwise acquired”, and Skopje’s first man Shilegov reported a house and land in May last year
• Teuta Arifi in 2018 reported a time deposit of 15,000 Euros, which she said was acquired by inheritance

Authors: Angela Rajchevska and Bjanka Stankovikj

The guests at the wedding  of the Mayor of the Municipality of Karpos, Stefan Bogoev, apparently did not save much when it came to the wedding gifts. Politicians, government officials, businessmen and media representatives donated about 30,000 Euros at the wedding ceremony held on September 21 last year. In April this year Bogoev reported a change in his assets, reporting a new apartment. According to his statement, it is about the money he received as a wedding gift from the guests present. He also said that they had two loans – the first of 50,000 Euros and the second of 9,000 Euros – and they had a credit card of about 1,600 Euros.

Although with not so high monthly incomes, mayors still report a change in their assets. From selling old cars and buying new ones to expanding the list with a new apartment or a house.

MAYORS’ SALARIES

According to the Law on Salaries of Elected and Appointed Persons, the mayors of municipalities with more than 50 thousand inhabitants have the deepest pockets. Their monthly salary is 3.4 average salaries, or about 86 thousand denars. In this group of top paid mayors besides Bogoev are Boris Georgievski, Ace Kocevski and Teuta Arifi.

Saso Pockov, Kutro Dudush and Zivko Gosharevski receive 3.2 average salaries, or 73 thousand denars, while Aleksandar Naumoski – 80 thousand denars. Sonja Stamenkova, Gorancho Krstev, Zoran Nogaceski, Jordan Nasev, Ismail Jahoski and Saso Jankoski receive 68,000 denars.

ARTICLE 17-C OF THE LAW ON SALARIES

The coefficients for determining the salaries of the mayors of municipalities and the mayor of the City of Skopje are from 2.70 to 3.70.

The coefficients referred to in paragraph 1 of this Article shall be determined by the number of inhabitants as follows:

– for the mayor of a municipality up to 10,000 inhabitants, a coefficient of 2.70;

– for the mayor of a municipality from 10,001 to 25,000 inhabitants a coefficient of 2.90;

– for the mayor of a municipality from 25,001 to 50,000 inhabitants, a coefficient of 3,20 and

– the mayor of a municipality with over 50,000 inhabitants a coefficient of 3.40.

Fifteen mayors reported a change in their property after they took office in 2017 until 2019. Some have raised loans, and some have sold their old vehicles and replaced them with new ones.

According to the Law on Prevention of Corruption, an elected or appointed person and a responsible person are obliged to report any increase in his/her ownership within 30 days, as well as any changes in property.

Calculating the coefficient, it can be seen that the highest salary of the above-mentioned mayors was received by the Mayor with the most changes since taking office, so far, Petre Shilegov, 92,884 denars.

Fourteen MPs receive salaries in the amount of 85,354 denars, eleven in the amount of 80,333, twenty-five in the amount of 72,802 and thirty receive 67,781 denars per month.

SHILEGOV HAS BOUGHT A HOUSE AND LAND

In May 2018 Shilegov reported a house and land worth 55,000 Euros, as well as a loan of the same value. Shilegov also repaid the loan of 2,400 Euros, and in 2018 reported a stake of 2,400 Euros and initial capital/equity of 5,040 Euros. In 2019 Shilegov reported a decrease in mutual funds of 48,000 Euros and a debt of 30,000 Euros. The mayor also repaid a loan of 13,000 Euros, reducing the existing loan from 55,000 Euros to 36,000 Euros.

In April this year, the mayor of Makedonska Kamenica, Sonja Stamenkova, transferred her daughter’s 1,200 Euros and her father’s 4,800 Euros to her name, with the aim of “future securities investments” as stated in the document reported to the SCPC.

Gazi Baba Mayor Boris Georgievski leased 12,000 Euros in 2018. One change was reported by Ace Kocevski, the Mayor of Veles, who in November 2017 reported loans to Veles in the amount of 2,600 Euros, Teuta Arifi, the Mayor of Tetovo Municipality, who in 2018 reported a time deposit in the amount of 15,000 Euros she had inherited and Jordan Nasev, the Mayor of Karbinci Municipality, who reported outstanding liabilities on a loan of 4,900 Euros.

The Mayor of Gjorce Petrov, Aleksandar Naumoski, reported changes in finances. So he has a consumer loan of 10,000 Euros, a closed deposit of 10,000 Euros and a loan of 11,000 Euros.

CHANGES “OTHERWISE ACQUIRED”

Ismail Jahoski, head of the municipality of Plasnica, in March 2018 reported claims on loans amounting to 270 thousand Euros. Four months later, in July that year, he reported a change of “otherwise acquired” worth 69,000 Euros. Jahoski has been elected the Mayor of Plasnica five times since 1996. Until 2014 he owned Pucko Petrol, before his son, Asmir Jahoski took it over. “Pucko Petrol” which deals with oil derivatives, construction materials and other activities, was established in 1993 and is a record holder in winning tenders. In the period from 2017 to 2018 the company won over 400 tenders.

As with other state officials, mayors also have changes in their vehicles. Seven MPs have renewed and six have sold their vehicles.

Vehicles bought:

Vehicles sold:

MUSA: TO LOOK INTO THE ORIGIN OF THE PROPERTY

Former anti-corruption commissioner Arif Musa says that everything remains in the hands of the State Commission for the Prevention of Corruption and the Public Revenue Office.

Musa believes it should be looked into on the basis of which documents, contracts and other personal incomes mayors’ incomes and property increase.

“This is an Achilles heel; it can be very easily and clearly seen from their personal income how much it can increase and the basis of which their property has increased. From a salary of that kind, even 120,000 denars, nowadays, a family of four cannot have an increase in property”, Arif Musa says for SCOOP.

He appeals to the SCPC and the PRO to regularly examine and consider the ways in which property has been increased, on the basis of which income and whether they are taxable.