Skopje's public water utility has announced an offer: pay off outstanding debts interest-free until June 5, 2026. The program starts April 20 and allows residents to settle overdue water bills without additional costs.

The offer is welcome for any Skopje resident with unpaid bills - but it's also a mirror reflecting reality. When a public utility has to run promotional campaigns to collect what it's owed, that speaks to two problems: people's purchasing power and a system that has been accumulating debt for years instead of resolving it.

The deadline is June 5. For everyone who owes - this is a window. For the water company - an attempt to collect at least some of what's owed. Simple math: better a denar without interest than nothing with interest.