Macedonian Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski announced a new round of increases of retirement incomes and welfare payments in 2016.

"At the latest Government session, we decided to adopt legal changes which would help the groups at greatest social risk. On top of the increase of welfare payments by 10 percent in 2015, we agreed on another increase of additional 5 percent in 2016. At the same time, we decided to approve the proposal for a new increase in the retirement incomes. The increase of 5 percent in 2015 will be compounded by an additional increase of 5 percent in 2016", Gruevski posted on his official Facebook account.

Raises in the retirement incomes and welfare payments have been a feature of the Government policy over the past decade. Gruevski added that the decision will help raise the incomes of many families and citizens.

"With this we accomplish two major promises to our citizens, we show that our word is our bond and that we will continue to implement our program, to work for the benefit of all citizens, wherever and whenever we can", Gruevski adds in his post.