Skopje, 22nd October 2011 (MIA) – Next year’s Budget will include more funds for infrastructure projects, as well as funds for starting the reconstruction and completing the construction of Corridor 8 railroad line towards Bulgaria and the Project “Buy a house, buy a flat".
This was promised by Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, Zoran Stavreski at today’s meeting with the businessman with the Construction Chamber within Macedonia’s Association of Chambers of Commerce.
– "We promised that new reforms will be also implemented as regards construction permits, through their electronic distribution, being significant for the construction sector " Stavreski stated after the meeting. Models for Corridor 8 are being considered, he added.
– Probably i.e. one part of Corridor 8 will be constructed on the basis of public private partnership, while the other part will be financed with other financing sources, credit or other funds. Corridor remains our strategic priority and the Government will soon present proposals, Stavreski explained.
According to him, foreign investors take into consideration the World Bank Doing Business Report when reaching decision to invest in the countries.
– The Report is very significant not only for foreign investors but also for domestic ones. All reforms we carry out are aimed at convincing investors that Macedonia has a favourable business climate and that the Government is their partner, understanding their difficulties and improving the business climate" Stavreski pointed out.
Construction growth of 26% this year and GDP growth of 5.2%, as he pointed out, are a result of the very measures the Government undertakes to that end.
As regards foreign investments, he stressed that they should be measured according to the relative size and the size of the country as percentage of GDP rather than in an absolute amount. It is usually, he added, for a country bigger several times than Macedonia in terms of both territory and market, to have more foreign investments.
– However, the economy is measured in relative terms or by the level of investments according to the number of citizens or by the level of investments compared to GDP. In this regards, Macedonia, in the last five years, achieved the best results, and during a certain period, the level of Foreign Direct Investments was around 7% of GDP, being much more compared to Croatia, Albania or Serbia, Stavreski pointed out.
Announced foreign investments in the past several months, he pointed out, five to six out of which started to be realized, are still not included in these figures.
– When they will be included in the figures, they will show that investors take into account the Doing Business Report to a great extent and as a result thereof, as well as due to their perception of the country in terms of investment climate, they start, together with the domestic investors, to realize investment projects, Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, Zoran Stavreski said.
