The Executive Director of the ECNWM, Mr. Durim Zekiri, participated in the panel discussion organized within the framework of the project “EU for the development of small and medium-sized enterprises”, funded by the European Union, in cooperation with the Ministry of Economy and Labor of the Republic of North Macedonia, on the occasion of the presentation of the Strategy for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises 2025–2030.
The panel brought together representatives of chambers of commerce, financial institutions, academia, INOVA, SME support organizations, as well as businessmen from the SME sector. The discussions focused on the practical implementation of the activities foreseen in the action plan, addressing key challenges such as access to finance and digitalization, green transition, as well as the expected results from the implementation of the strategy.
The event was also attended by the Minister of Economy and Labor, Mr. Besar Durmishi who spoke about the strategic priorities of SMEs, while the EU Ambassador, His Excellency Mr. Mihalis Rokas spoke about the role of the EU in the development of SMEs.
During the discussion, Mr. Zekiri emphasized that: “The green transition is currently perceived more as a cost than as an opportunity, because our economy has low innovative and financial capacities to transform it into a competitive advantage”
He also added that “The lack of investment in renewable energy and green technologies at a level of only 0.4% of GDP makes the transition difficult for businesses, because demands grow faster than financial support. North Macedonia has 0 registered green patents”
In the end, Mr. Zekiri underlined the importance of close cooperation between institutions, the business community and international partners, emphasizing that only through a coordinated and comprehensive approach can the SME Strategy 2025–2030 deliver concrete and sustainable results for the country’s economic development.
