Skopje, 22nd October 2011 (MIA) – Macedonian Chambers of Commerce (MCC) greets the progress the country achieved in the Doing Business Report of the World Bank, in particular in the construction sector, where the best improvement was attained in terms of dealing with construction permits.
The Report was discussed at the working meeting held on Saturday between the Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, Zoran Stavreski, and the Minister of Transport and Communications, Mile Janakieski, with the representatives of the Construction Chamber with the Macedonian Chambers of Commerce.
President of the Construction Chamber within the MCC, Sead Kocan, thanked both Ministers for their inclusion in MCC analyses for the Doing Business Report and said that they were proud for the progress achieved in the construction sector.
– Joint position of MCC members is that we feel proud that Macedonia is highly positioned in the Report as regards the economy, especially in the construction sector, Kocan said after the meeting.
MCC President, Zlatko Kalenikov, pointed out that the progress in the Doing Business Report was achieved on the basis of mutual cooperation between the Government, the business sectors and the Chambers of Commerce.
– As MCC, we have good cooperation with the Government and out proposals are being implemented. The Report is of significant importance for the country in terms of the foreign investors to whom the Report is of relevance, however, as a real sector, it is also important for us to feel the changes, Kalenikov said.
Vice Prime Minister Stavreski said he saw that the progress attained by the country in the Report as a success of the whole country, not only of the Government.
– Without joint efforts and engagements of the Chambers of Commerce and the business community, we would have not been where we are now. We have come here today to thank both the MCC and the Chamber of Commerce for their exceptional cooperation and the contribution they have given in designing the reforms as regards the construction permits, as well as the overall reforms in the country the implementation of which earned the country the third place in the world according to Doing Business, Stavreski said.
He underlined that, at the meeting, they also discussed how to continue the reforms in future.
– MCC requested from us to continue with the improvement of the business climate, in particular with the dealing with construction permits, the high capital investments in the Budget, especially for infrastructure projects, as well as to commence the realization of the strategic projects important for the competitiveness of the economy. We have promised new reforms next year in the field of construction permits by awarding them electronically, more funds in the Budget for infrastructure projects, as well as funds for commencing the reconstruction and the completion of the railroad within Corridor 8 towards Bulgaria and "Buy a House, Buy a Flat” Project, which is important for the construction sector, Stavreski said.
Minister of Transport and Communications stressed that Macedonia was among the top 30 economies for the ease of doing business in the world already according to the Doing Business Report.
– Macedonia third top reformer in the world third time in a row, and the first in the world as regards reforms in the dealing with construction permits. It is a valorization of the hard work of all government members in engaging themselves in improving the business climate in the country, Minister Janakievski said. He pointed out that Macedonia, as for dealing with construction permits, experienced a 89-places jump and was not at the 61st place.
– We have discussed with MCC members on how, together, to make the 61st place become 30th or 40th place, i.e. for the country to again experience growth. In cooperation with the Chambers of Commerce, the construction companies and the Association of Local Government Units, we will implement, next year, electronic construction permits, which we hope will be valorized by the World Bank, and the country will again experience growth in this field, Minister Janakieski said.
According to Mirce Cekregi from the MCC, we get the feeling of being privileged to live in a country which is at the 22nd place according to the doing business environment.
– It is rare that Macedonia is ranked in a similar place in any other area. It is a result of the cooperation of the Government with the business community, in particular the MCC, Cekregi underlined.
