Skopje, 15th December 2014 (MIA) – Saudi Arabia is a new market, where the Government presents the conditions for doing business in Macedonia for the purpose of increasing the opportunities for attracting new investors and expanding the trade cooperation with other non-European countries. Government Delegation met 40 businessmen assessing the investment conditions as excellent ones, and they announced investments in many areas.
– Saudi Arabia is a large market and a country having high level of income and we believed that it was adequate to visit it and to present the possibilities Macedonia offers in terms of good business climate, low taxes and skilled labour force, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, Zoran Stavreski said.
He pointed out that this was accepted by businessmen, and that some of them have already had positive experience, being already familiar with the conditions for doing business Macedonia offers.
– Some of the present investors have already visited the Republic of Macedonia and their opinion of our country is favourable, however, it is useful to once again have discussions about what they may do more specifically and how to realize their plans for the Republic of Macedonia. We met 30 to 40 businessmen on the first day. In the next days, we will hold such business forums in many places here so as to present the possibilities the Republic of Macedonia offers to investors from Saudi Arabia. We believe that some of them will decide to visit our country and that they will consider about investing herein, Stavreski said.
Khalid Al-Taweell, who is businessmen engaged in several successful business areas such as real estate, technological industry and construction, as well as Executive Manager of “Leuron” Company, highlighted his positive experience from his last visit to the Republic of Macedonia.
– Conditions for doing business in Macedonia are excellent, one of the best I have seen, with respect to infrastructure, skills, labour force and friendly environment. Tax system is also excellent and I believe the Government is doing an excellent job in terms of creating conditions for attracting new investments. Compared to other regions for investment, the conditions are very good and the country is among the best to invest therein. I am very optimistic that that all things will develop very well and that there will be fast progress in investments in the years to come, Al-Taweell said.
As for the possible investment plans related to the country, he said that he contemplates and considers the investment opportunities in several areas.
– We have also plans to expand our field of activity in 2015, as well as in 2016, in the areas covering human resources, in terms of trainings, as well as real estate, tourism and construction, Al-Taweell said, pointing out that the plans are being developed and expressing hope for their successful realization.
Minister without Portfolio in charge of Foreign Investments Visar Fida explained the significance as regards the economic aspect of the visit, pointing out the sectors, in which interest was shown by investors, being areas where the Government achieved good performance.
– We also had meetings with several companies in Riyadh in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Among the other, the country is interesting for us since it is one of the fastest-growing economies in this region of the world. Companies to which we presented the investment opportunities in the Republic of Macedonia, showed interest in several areas such as infrastructure, agriculture and tourism, Fida said.
He pointed out that the Government will stay in contact with those that will show greater interest in investing and we will try to meet them halfway as regards their investment plans.
Saudi Arabia as fast-growing economy is significant economic market, being intensively focused on dispersing the economic capital. Government economic team presented to the businessmen the advantages for realizing foreign investments, which the Republic of Macedonia offers, such as low taxes, skilled labour force, development infrastructure and simplified bureaucracy procedures.