The president of the Economic Chamber of North-West Macedonia calls for the reduction of gray economy and for the solution of the problem of the work force, as a pre-condition for European integration.
The president of ECNWM Mr. Mendi Qyra invited from the Minister of Finance, Mr. Dr. Fatmir Besimi, was a panelist in the third annual international conference on “European Integration and Economic Prosperity” (“Europe-yes, Europe-now”), which took place under the patronage of the Skopje Economic and Finance Forum (SEFF), 2023.
Government representatives from the country and the region, diplomats, representatives of the business sector, etc. were attendants at this conference.
The president of ECNWM, Mr. Qyra participated in the fourth panel, where topic of discussion was “Global Trends and Business Opportunities”, where he stated that the position of the ECNWM is that priority should be given to the rule of law and the fight against corruption.
One of the strategic points of ECNWM is the formalization of the gray economy, as a key axis that helps in the preparation and integration of North Macedonia in the European Union, as well as creating a more stable, competitive, and fair economy for all citizens and businesses in the country, which according to recent reports, leaves much to be desired.
He emphasized that among the key problems that we face as a state and that the chamber has constantly raised its voice is the labor force, which represents the foundation of any economy regardless of the technological level of the industry or digitalization.
” We do not see economic development, but only economic growth, high rates of corruption, very low efficiency of institutions that are not proving their capacity even for the realization of capital investments, meanwhile, politically, we aim to achieve membership in the EU, which makes us look even more paradoxical than we are” – stated the president, Mr. Qyra.
However, North Macedonia has made significant progress on the road to EU membership, and we as a Chamber are committed to supporting businesses in our country towards this transformative journey.