20.08.2024, Skopje – In the premises of the Faculty of Heidelberg Skopje, the Forum was organized where a debate was held on “State strategies and challenges for sustainable development of municipalities. In the first panel, it was discussed about the public policies of the local self-government units oriented towards sustainable development, as well as the improvement of the management process of the government’s economic policies towards the influence of the local self-government units.

In the second panel, capital investments, infrastructure development and fiscal decentralization were discussed, as well as the challenges of candidate states for EU membership: Independence of local self-government units.

President Mr. Qyra was invited as a speaker in the second discussion panel, together with the mayor of the Municipality of Kumanovo, Mr. Maksim Dimitrievski, as well as the mayor of Aerodrom, Mr. Dejan Miteski.

Mr. Qyra emphasized the importance of capital investments for North Macedonia, as a key element for sustainable economic growth and development. Through capital investments, we also contribute to the labor force, by creating better conditions for living and working in the country, thus reducing the unemployment rate and stimulating the demand to work in different sectors. It is worth emphasizing that according to the Employment Agency, over 100,000 active job seekers cannot fulfill the need of the private sector for 20,000 employees.

The development of the infrastructure is also framed in the Platform for economic development of the North Macedonia, where the ECNWM has proposed some basic priorities for an improved infrastructure, investing in the road, railway and border infrastructure, in order to facilitate the free flow of people, goods, services and capital, as well as improving trade exchange with cross-border countries.

In the space for free discussion, the Executive Director of ECNWM, Mr. Zekiri mentioned the Global Competitiveness Report, whose indicators show that we are the country with the lowest rate of newly established companies, as well as the lowest rate of new entrepreneurs in Europe. As a consequence of this, measures must be taken and development policies must be created that will contribute in all areas, through which a higher standard of living will be possible.