Overview of the situation in the creative and cultural sectors in North Macedonia during the Covid-19

Coronavirus has dramatically changed cultural life in the Republic of North Macedonia. Everything that we recognized as normal in public life, in social interaction and communication, is now being tested, like never before. They have taken very serious and drastic measures. Some of them, such as the introduction of a state of emergency and restrictions on movement, were the result of difficult but inevitable decisions.
Many of Macedonian citizens do not go to work, our children do not go to kindergartens, school, or colleges. With the first measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, all museums, galleries and a number of small and medium-sized enterprises like creative ateliers had to be shut down.
With protective measures against KOVID 19 spheres in culture begin to work on 03/07/2020.
The Decision of the Government of the Republic of North Macedonia also adopts protocols adopted by the Commission for Infectious Diseases at the Ministry of Health, for the operation of libraries, museums, galleries and exhibition spaces, dance and ballet clubs, and activities and work can be started by organizing events and manifestations in the open space, with mandatory compliance with the Protocol on the manner and conditions for organizing events by the Commission for Infectious Diseases at the Ministry of Health and the Association of Event Industry.
During the Covid – 19 crises the North Macedonian government has adopted six packages of economic measures to deal with the crisis. Simulations in cultural and creativity sphere began and taken a place in Second package, with the following measures:
– Measure – help for artists – A minimum wage for the months of April and May 2021 was provided for 141 independent artists, as well as contributions through the Ministry of Culture.
– Measure – Monthly wage (monetary compensation) for citizens who lost their jobs due to the crisis, in the amount of 50% of the average wage of the employee – There was planned for the citizens who lost their jobs due to the crisis, to be paid monetary compensation every month in the amount of 50% of the average monthly net salary of the employee for the last 24 months in accordance with the Law on Employment and Insurance in Case of Unemployment and Article 68 of this Law, according to which the citizens who lost their jobs will receive compensation through the Employment Agency according to their years of service.
For example: For 5 years of service, 4 months of compensation, or for 24 years of service – 12 months of compensation.
In the third package of covid measures, compensation were provided and provided for different types of economic entities, but not for those working in the field of culture and art, unfortunately. The third package of economic measures actually aimed to enable the revival of the Macedonian economy through direct support of the citizens and the economy, ie. to increase consumption and stimulate the protection, promotion and growth of the domestic economic supply.
The fourth package aims to ensure the sustainability of domestic economic activities and jobs, to recover certain activities, to ensure the stability of social transfers and to provide policies that will help implement a rapid exit strategy when the crisis is over.
In the fourth package there was intended a place and one measure for the cultural and creative association. This is the measure – Support for artisans – reduction of the VAT rate on their services and products from 18% to 5% in order to strengthen their competitiveness in the market. Other measures, such as support for payment of wages or access to favorable loans from the Development Bank of Northern Macedonia, remain available to the self-employed artisans.