Skopje, 5th March 2013 (MIA) – Construction industry is one of the main business activities in each country, and it was, especially in such times of crisis in the past years, driving force of economic growth in Macedonia, Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, Zoran Stavreski, said at the opening of the 10th International Fair of Construction, Building Materials and Construction Machinery, commencing as of today at the Skopje Fair.
Positive trends in the construction industry, according to Stavreski, are indicator of quality of the construction companies and all actors in this sector, which participate with a significant percentage in GDP creation, as well as of the policies of the Government to stimulate construction activities.
– In the past four years of global economic crisis, only in Macedonia, out of all countries in Europe, construction industry showed constant positive results, and not only that, but we also have two-digit growth rates like the ones realized in 2011. I believe 2012 data will also confirm this. This shows that we are doing something good together and that something good is happening in the construction sector, Stavreski pointed out.
He reiterated the activities undertaken by the Government, which helped realizing positive results in the construction industry, whereby with respect to tax policy, he mentioned the flat tax, a possibility used by many construction companies to reinvest, for which they are fully profit-tax exempted, and the reduced VAT rate from 18% to 5% on sales of flats, a measure to be applicable by the end of 2015.
As for the construction industry, he underlined, it is very important for simple requirements for obtaining construction permit to be in place. Therefore, the Government intervened by combining policies, measures and documents necessary for obtaining a construction permit. Construction permit is obtained only through three, rather than 21, procedures, Stavreski said.
According to him, what was characteristic for the “Buy a House, Buy a Flat” Project in the past period were the housing credits for building a house and for buying a flat. The Project, Vice Prime Minister pointed out, was met with a favourable response by both the construction companies and by the citizens. A significant measure, according to him, is also the possibility to buy a state-owned construction land at the price of EUR 1 per square meter, which stimulated many companies to start building at much lower costs.
– It is a matter of good combination in which the actors in this area, entrepreneurs and the Government, helped together, we gave our hand and managed to raise the construction industry to the level where it should be, and it is the generator of economic growth not only because of its growth, but because it also includes many other industrial branches within the construction activities, Stavreski said.
He wished the participants in the 10th International Fair of Construction, Building Materials and Construction Machinery and the 3rd Real Estate and Investments Exhibition, which will last by 9th March, a successful work, establishing good contacts, exchanging information and as many as possible concluded deals.
More that 300 companies, with various construction program, take part in the Construction Fair. Three exhibition halls, covering an area of 9,000 square meters, host construction materials, insulation, roofs, mortar, glues, paints and lacquers, floors, elevators, security systems, tiles and sanitary facilities, doors and windows. Outdoor exhibition area hosts companies with a construction machinery program. In addition to domestic companies, companies from Serbia, Turkey, Italy, Slovenia, Kosovo, Germany, …. also take part.
At the Real Estate Exhibition on the other hand, many domestic investors, such as “Adora”, “Trim”, “Nastel”, “Impeksel 2”, “Euroaktiva”, “Kurum Holding”, …… promote their new facilities with total of 1,500 flats, and new requirements for buying flats through the “Buy a House, Buy a Flat“ Project are presented.
During the Fair, promotion of “Urban Eco Expo 2012” Project is announced, through daily presentations and promotions covering the topic of “Green Urban Planet”. The Project is organized in cooperation with the Construction Fair, City of Skopje and “Parks and Greenery” Public Enterprise, “City Parking”, “Streets and Roads”, Public Traffic Enterprise, “Utility Hygiene, “Water Supply and Sewerage” and “Drisla”.
Skopje Fair expects for the Construction Fair and Real Estate Exhibition to be visited by more than 15,000 visitors.
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