Mexico City, 30th April 2013 (MIA) – Businessmen from over 200 Mexican companies got familiar with the economic potentials of Macedonia and the benefits it offers to foreign investors at the business forum in Mexico City. Macedonian Government economic team, headed by Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski, thoroughly presented the conditions for investing to the companies in the field of medical industry, textile industry, energy, information science, communication technologies, chemical industry, tourism, construction, services, production and other economic branches and areas.
Business forum was held in cooperation and with full logistic support and in coordination with the companies Mex Tel, Tel Sell and American Mobi, which are part of the business group of the richest man in the world Carlos Slim. Macedonian Prime Minister numbered the advantages provided to the foreign investors, the lowest costs for doing business in Europe, the free access to 65—million market of consumers, which is enabled under the free trade agreements with all countries from Europe and the Macedonian Government, being service-oriented to foreign investors.
Gruevski pointed out that the Government is friendly-oriented towards the companies and invited Mexican businessmen to come in Macedonia and to get assured in the investment benefits from the experience of the already present investors. First check for the incentives for the investors and the support by the Government, as he said, may be seen through the experience of "Johnson Controls”, “Johnson Metti”, “Vanhol”, Protek Group”, “TeknoHose”, out of which some already build their own second factories in Macedonian industrial zone.
– If you come in Macedonia and discuss for example with representatives of "Johnson Controls”, which built the first factory in 2007, building another one at the moment, or Johnson Metti, which built the first factory in 2008, building its second one at present, or "Vanhol”, currently building factory for buses that will be exported to the USA and Europe or "Drekselmaer", German car part manufacture or "Kromberg and Shubert" being also car part manufacturers or "Protek Group”, the biggest pharmaceutical company from Russia, “TeknoHose” from Italy and others, you will see that everything I said is true. They openly say this to many investors, coming in the country, who like to check the situation and they carry out the first check with those, who have already invested in Macedonia, Gruevski said. According to him, Macedonia experiences constant progress on the lists for appraisal of the business environment of the World Bank, Forbs, Pricewaterhouse etc., which as he pointed out, is the best proof and guarantee that the reforms, being implemented yield results.
Carlos Slim Junior, Executive Director of the business group of Carlos Slim, positively assessed the reforms, being implemented by the Macedonian Government aimed at improving the business environment and realizing the investments.
He pointed out the active approach of his company in terms of lobbying at Mexican companies to consider the possibility for investments in Macedonia. He also pointed out that his group, as so far, will continue to strongly support the promotion and the realization of the interests of our country.
I expect for such events to intensify the cooperation between both countries, the two populations and the companies from both countries, Carlos Slim Junior said. John Gabriel Goddard from the World Bank, who was special guest at the business forum, also positively assessed the reforms, being implemented in Macedonia, as well as the good business surrounding.
– Macedonia made significant step forward in the field of registering business, taxation and in other areas, as well as in the newest measures for improving the liquidity and the other reforms to be appraised in the newest report of the World Bank, Goddard pointed out. Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, Zoran Stavreski pointed out to the stable macroeconomic surrounding and the good economic indicators in Macedonia. This, as he stressed, provides for appropriate guarantee for realizing the business interests of the companies that would invest in Macedonia.
Government delegation at the economic presentation in Mexico also includes the Minister for Attracting Foreign Investments Vele Samak and the Director of the Agency for Attracting Foreign Investments and Export Promotion Visar Fida. They, at the margins of the business forum, agreed precise cooperation with representatives of the Mexican Export Promotion Agency ProMexico.
In the coming period, according to what was agreed, deepened institutional cooperation between both national agencies should be established, in which ProMexico will provide for complete logistic support of the promotion of the benefits the Republic of Macedonia provides for opening and developing businesses. Active lobbying for investments in Macedonia will be carried out at Mexican companies, and the benefits of Macedonia to companies from third countries will be also promoted.
ProMexico should also provide service data, information and databases to the Macedonian Agency as regards the interest of foreign investors, the movements at global level in the field of investments, as well as at the level of macroeconomic indicators, on the basis of which anticipation is carried out and the possibilities for attracting investments are located.
Both agencies also agreed signing of Memorandum of Cooperation in the field of investments.
