In December 2008, the Macedonian Parliament adopted amendments to the Law on Volunteering, addressing issues of hosts of volunteers and reimbursement of expenses. The Ministry of Social Affairs was asked to amend the Law on Volunteering to harmonize it with the recent changes in the tax system. According to the new tax system reimbursement for transport and food cannot be calculated as expenses. This affects the reimbursement of food and travel expenses for volunteers, a right which was granted to them with the Law on Volunteering. In order to ensure that they still have a right to receive a reimbursement to such expenses, the Ministry developed amendments proposing a fixed percentage up to which such reimbursements can be issued. In addition, the amendments include a possibility for volunteering in local government institutions, which was one of the gaps identified in the process of implementation of the law.
