Increase of the industrial production by 24.5% in March, compared to March 2010, is a good sign that Macedonian industry will experience better days ahead, Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, Zoran Stavreski, said Friday.
 
– There is an encouraging data on increase of industrial production by 24.5% in March compared to March 2010. This is yet another good sign that Macedonian industry will have better days ahead. For a third month in a row there are positive trends in the industry, however, March data is the best – high growth of 24.5%, Stavreski said, answering journalist question on the distribution of 60,000 trash cans.
 
What is especially promising, according to him, is that many industrial branches experienced production growth, i.e. metal, non-metal industry, production of clothing, leather, textile and processing industry as a whole experienced two-digit growth rates, showing sustainable growth with an outlook for such trend to continue in the coming period.
 
– This is due to two things: reforms being implemented recently and amid the crisis. We have remained, both prior and after the crisis, strongly committed to realise the reforms – low taxes, improving the requirements for the companies to privatize land and other manner in which the country provides help through the regulatory guillotine. On the other hand, demand has improved globally, meaning there are positive developments at the steel industry, as well as other branches, so as a whole we experience positive trends. I expect for the Macedonian industry and the Macedonian economy as a whole to experience better days ahead, Vice Prime Minister Stavreski said.
 
Today, State Statistics Office announced growth of the industrial production by 24.5% in March in relation to March 2010, and 13.8% growth in the first quarter in 2011 compared to the same period in 2010.(MIA)