On October 6, 2025, at the premises of the Economic Chamber of North-West Macedonia, the Acting President of ECNWM, Mr. Nuhi Aliu, together with the Executive Director, Mr. Durim Zekiri, the Honorary President, Mr. Dauti, and the Operations Manager, held a meeting with the candidates for mayors from the NAI coalition. The meeting was attended by Mr. Erkan Arifi, candidate for the Municipality of Lipkovo, and Mr. Blerant Ramadani, candidate for the Municipality of Saraj.
The meeting was opened by Mr. Nuhi Aliu, who presented the Platform for Local Economic Development, prepared by ECNWM, emphasizing the main requests of the business community and the importance of strengthening cooperation to advance the private sector and create favorable conditions for business operations.
In his address, the candidate for the Municipality of Lipkovo, Mr. Erkan Arifi, highlighted the strategic position of the municipality for attracting investments. He presented some of the key priorities of his program, such as the functionalization of the Economic Zone in Nikushtak, the opening of the border crossing point in Bellanoc, the establishment of a center for collecting agricultural products, as well as the acceleration and simplification of urban planning procedures.
On the other hand, the candidate for the Municipality of Saraj, Mr. Blerant Ramadani, underlined the need for the Saraj Industrial Zone to have direct access to the highway, a request also supported by ECNWM and stressed the importance of drafting mid-term and long-term strategies for the development of the municipality over 4-year and 10-year periods.
During the discussion, the Honorary President of ECNWM, Mr. Xhemail Dauti, emphasized the necessity of eliminating political influence from the urban planning sectors in both municipalities and expressed the need for establishing a container center in Kondovo.
In conclusion, the Executive Director of ECNWM, Mr. Durim Zekiri, reiterated the importance of formalizing the informal economy as one of the key factors for sustainable development and improving the business climate.
As part of its long-standing tradition, ECNWM will continue to hold meetings with other political entities, with the aim of conveying the priorities and positions of the business community through direct dialogue, in relation to local economic development.
