I have always considered the first of September to be a beginning. It probably comes from school, but even in other workplaces, that date always represented the start of a new period, which was usually tied to achieving better results by the end of the year. This means that if there were certain weaknesses in the previous period, they must be overcome. But we know well that things do not improve by themselves, so we will make certain decisions to support that process.

1.     The coherence of ECNM’s Management Board in the last year is evident, as well as the increased engagement of its members in actively participating in our common mission — which is a better position for companies in the coming period. Here, I foremost want to highlight the involvement of Anatol Kutrevski, MBA (PEKABESKO), Aleksandar Gechev, M.Sc. (IGM TRADE), Prof. Dr. Nikica Mojsoska-Blazhevski (MACEDONIA 2025), Dr. Anita Blazhevska (PHILIP MORRIS SKOPJE), Zoran Milkovski, M.Sc. (GD Granit), who, through their experience, are a significant factor in shaping the Chamber's economic policies.

2.     A month ago, we announced that we had appointed Prof. Dr. Nikica Mojsoska-Blazhevski as the main coordinator in implementing the cooperation agreement between the Government and the Chamber, which will definitely be signed this week. This agreement will cover several important segments for companies, such as loan support, energy, budget support, and providing more work for domestic construction companies on the Bechtel-ENKA project.

3.     Today, we announce that another of our great activists, the Vice Rector of the Goce Delchev University in Shtip and the President of our Exporters' Club, Prof. Dr. Darko Lazarov, will take on the role of the main coordinator for implementing the Chamber's export strategy. This means he will coordinate the activities of the National Export Council, the Exporters' Club, and the Export Institute, which stem from the Private Sector Regional Integration Support Activity (PSRISA), implemented in partnership with USAID.

4.     From the first of October, I announce that, in line with my powers, I will appoint a Secretary General of the Permanent Court of Arbitration attached to the Economic Chamber, for which preparatory activities have already been undertaken. This will fill another gap that will help find a lasting solution for this important institution that needs to be restructured.

5.     My assessment is that two significant forms of our organization should be put into operation as soon as possible: the Council for Advanced Technologies and the Micro-, Small, and Medium-sized Enterprises Center (MSME Center). The times demand that we stay up to date with developments, and this cannot be done without increased engagement from these two segments.

6.     This week, we expect a very significant meeting of the Foreign Investors Council with Prime Minister Mickoski at the Chamber. At that meeting, we expect the issues identified as problematic in foreign capital companies to begin to be resolved steadily. We have 147 such companies, which are an important factor in our operations. Also, this week, I will have a working meeting with our experts to assess the current economic situation. Here, the VAT return issue seems to be looming, on which we have special surveys.

7.     During September, a new group of young businesspeople will join us, who hold positions in the Chamber's bodies. This continues the ongoing process of including smaller firms, which represent an important base of our operations. To mention just a few of them: Dimitrije Zdravkovski (40 years old, Reform Solution Center), Goran Stojanovski (40 years old, Scalefocus), Toni Jankovski (33 years old, Diners), Zharko Dimitrioski (36 years old, BDG Group), Prof. Dr. Marina Blazhekovikj-Toshevski (39 years old, Faculty of ICT at St. Kliment Ohridski University in Bitola), etc.

8.     On the international/regional level, technical assistance is currently being provided through the WB6 CIF to companies in the process of selling their products on EU markets (with a focus on the German and Italian markets). Some 73 SMEs from the entire Western Balkans region will receive support from the program experts to acquire competencies that will make them more attractive for entry into European and global supply chains and finding EU partners. The most successful participants in the program (10 companies from Macedonia are included) will participate in the Investment Conference/B2B meetings organized as a side event of the Business Forum and the Meeting of Economy Ministers under the Berlin Process, in Berlin, Germany (24 September 2024), and at the SAIE building fair in Bologna, Italy (9-12 October 2024).

A visit of our business delegation to the USA is also in preparation, which will be an attempt to make up for the backlog in the past period.

All in all, there are concrete and clear tasks from which, by the end of the year, I expect companies to receive state support, take part in road construction according to the agreement with Bechtel-ENKA, enjoy free access to the fair in Bologna and the business forum in Berlin, see a legal resolution of the issue concerning holding companies, Article 218 of the Law on Enforcement, favorable customs rates, and a reduction in parafiscal charges and the number of laws.