A number of social welfare recipients have also been affected by the developments related to Alta Banka. According to authorities, over 5,000 beneficiaries received their assistance precisely through Alta Banka Bitola.
Consequently, an effort is now underway to enable these individuals to withdraw all the funds they are entitled to without restrictions at bank counters on Wednesday (November 4). The plan is to open three counters — first in Bitola, followed by Skopje and Strumica as the largest centers.
Following the revocation of Alta Banka’s license in Serbia by that country’s central bank, the question has arisen as to how sound the decision was to allow it to acquire Stopanska Banka AD Bitola. In the interview with Telma, North Macedonia National Bank Governor Slaveski stated that despite all the developments, he did not believe he’d made a mistake with the decision to allow the bank to enter the Macedonian market. The vetting process lasted three months. Although the National Bank is an independent institution, Slaveski stated that he had also consulted with the Government.