Businesses in North Macedonia demand more concessions by government

Businesses in North Macedonia have put forward a series of demands to the government with the aim of improving business climate in the country.

Measures against informal economy, creating sustainable conditions for doing business and speeding up the digitalization process are just part of the 78 measures that the Union of Chambers of Commerce has requested to the government.

“We demand a solution by the end of the year for some of these measures ”, said the chair of this Union, Daniela Arsovska.

Prime Minister Zoran Zaev has proposed VAT refund as a measure to fight informal economy. According to him, this measure will be launched in July and its aim is to encourage employers to pay employees through the bank. PM Zaev said that the government will also envisage the demands that businesses have put forward.

High level of corruption, breaking the law and tax evasion are three things which make it impossible for economic reforms to take place in North Macedonia. This is the opinion given by the government’s adviser, Walter Defa, who has been recommended in this post by German chancellor Angela Merkel to help in the improvement of economic policies. According to the German adviser, there must be investments, but public debt must not be increased.

“There must be priorities, because not all things can be done at the same time”, says Defa, who has recently conducted a general assessment on economic trends and the functioning of institutions.

/ibna/