School 'basket' with 15% discount planned — what families will pay
Ministry of Economy and Labour plans a 15% discount on prepacked school kits; exact offers will vary by retailer and are to be voted this Tuesday.
With less than ten days until the school year begins, the government measure known as the "school basket" is being prepared again to ease parents' back-to-school expenses.
The Ministry of Economy and Labour has announced that the basket will carry a 15 percent discount and that the measure is scheduled for a vote at a government session this Tuesday. Officials say the exact discounts will differ between retailers depending on choice, quality and brand of the items.
How the scheme will look and what parents say
"The baskets will be clearly marked and placed in a visible spot, with the exact contents and prices of the items listed. In this way, parents will have full information in advance about what the package contains and what its price will be," the Ministry said.
Bookshops have already begun selling school supplies. Shop staff report that prices vary by item but are not dramatically higher than before; many citizens disagree. "It is more expensive this year than last. For everything needed for one child, if last year we paid around four to five thousand, this year we will have to pay much more," one parent said.
"Everything is more expensive. The backpack costs 50 euros; every year our granddaughter wants a new backpack," another citizen added.
Calculations by the Union of Trade Unions of Macedonia show that a household with two schoolchildren spends roughly 7,200 denars per month on education — about 10.5% of total household expenses.
Photo: press material from the event
