Skopje, 20 November 2023

“With the activities planned within the Financial Literacy Days, the National Bank makes a further contribution meeting the need for financial education in the modern dynamic financial system. We are witnessing a diverse offer of financial services, under different conditions, through different channels. Digital financial services bring many advantages to users, but impose a need for additional knowledge and face us with new challenges and risks. There is a need for constant improvement of the knowledge, not only in relation to how to use financial services, but also how to protect the rights of citizens as consumers. As the financial system changes, so the need for new knowledge for proper management of personal finance grows, said the Chief Economist of the National Bank, Aneta Krstevska, in an interview for Makedonsko Radio. Discussing the celebration of the Financial Literacy Days, for which the National Bank planned online lectures in the next three days, Krstevska said: "Raising the level of financial literacy is one of the strategic objectives of the National Bank. Within these days, the National Bank, as a socially responsible institution, offers an opportunity to acquire and improve the knowledge of the population from this area."

In her interview, the Chief Economist of the National Bank pointed out that the efforts to improve the financial literacy are also a response to the needs of the population, which in our country, in accordance with the conducted survey, achieves 56% of the maximum when assessing the three components that are an integral part of the financial literacy: financial knowledge, financial behavior and financial attitudes. This indicator is close to the SEE average (58%), but lower than the advanced OECD economies of 66%. Data are the result of the conducted survey of the International Network on Financial Education INFE at the OECD in 2019 which measured the financial literacy of the population in our country within the regional financial education project supported by the Ministry of Finance of the Netherlands and the INFE-OECD.

Financial Literacy Days are marked for the seventh time. This year, trainings are planned on several topics covering knowledge of monetary policy, of selection of a loan, of the novelties of the new Law on Payment Services and Payment Systems, on the structure of the financial system and the movements in the banking system. The presentations are intended for all interested citizens, audience with a basic and more advanced level of knowledge. This year, two special lectures are also planned for secondary-school students, in the eve of their interest in financial education, in addition to the current opportunity of the schools to submit a lecture request. The participation in the trainings is ensured through electronic registration of every interested person. For more information on the planned training visit.