Probištip has paid back over 50 million denars of its debt, but how much it still owes - the mayor didn't say

At the end of his first year in office, Probištip mayor Toni Tonevski came out with a progress report. The headline figure: the municipality has repaid more than 50 million denars of the debt it inherited, which he says stood at over one million euros last year. The staging of the report said something else too - the backdrop belonged to VMRO-DPMNE, the ruling party, with its slogan "Macedonia Is Accelerating", not to the Municipality of Probištip.

"Financial deleveraging is not just an accounting category. It means creating the conditions for the municipality to plan more easily in the future, to apply for funds, to carry out capital investments," Tonevski said.

Let's translate that figure: 50 million denars is around 810,000 euros. Set against a debt of "more than one million euros", it sounds like a big chunk of the burden. But exactly how much Probištip owes today, the mayor didn't say - and that is the only number that shows whether the deleveraging is finished or has only just begun.

The list of projects is long. According to Tonevski, projects worth over 100 million denars are being carried out this year, with another 70 million about to start. He singled out the construction and reconstruction of the streets 3-ta, 3rd April, Jakim Stojkovski, Lenin Square and Nikola Karev; the road to the village of Kundino has been fully renovated, and work on the road between Gorni and Dolni Stubol is continuing.

The drinking water reservoir has been repaired, and with 30 million denars from the Ministry of Environment a full reconstruction of the filtration plant is beginning. Projects worth 600,000 euros have been prepared for water supply in the villages of Drenak, Strmoš, Lesnovo, Zarapinci and Strisovci. Also announced: a makeover of the town entrance, renovation of the Crn Vrv mountain lodge and of the handball court in the centre, and a new General Urban Plan that will expand the building zone.

None of this is bad for Probištip. But when a municipal report is read out in front of a party logo, it's hard to tell whether residents are getting a report or a campaign. When will we see this report with figures from the year-end accounts, rather than from a podium?