Deputy Minister of Economy and Labor, Marjan Risteski, held a working meeting with the Mayor of Bitola, Toni Konjanovski, and representatives of the business sector in Bitola and the Pelagonia region.
At the meeting, those present discussed the economic opportunities in the country, and Deputy Minister Risteski presented some of the measures that the Government and the Ministry of Economy and Labor are offering to support the domestic economy.
- Like never before, the business sector in the Government has a partner open to cooperation and support for the growth and development of domestic companies. The distribution of funds provided by the Hungarian loan on favorable terms for companies in the amount of EUR250 million has begun, and a large number of domestic companies are the main carriers of the investment boom in municipalities through the implementation of capital projects supported by an additional EUR250 million.
In parallel with the support for companies, we have major investments in infrastructure through the construction of the Gradsko-Prilep expressway and the construction of the Prilep-Bitola highway, which provides traffic connectivity to the region and an opportunity for greater economic development of the region - said Risteski.
At the meeting, Risteski emphasized that the citizens and companies from Bitola have shown great interest in the measures from the Operational Employment Plan for 2025, where 216 applications have been received for the self-employment measure, while 50 applications have been received for the measure to support the growth of companies for a total of 57 jobs.
He added that these meetings with the business sector are an excellent opportunity to hear their opinions on the programs and measures of the Government and Ministries, to discuss whether they should continue to be implemented or whether they should undergo certain changes, as well as whether completely new ones should be implemented.
Mayor Konjanovski stated that there are serious investments in local infrastructure in Bitola, and the municipality has received more than EUR15 million in two public calls for funds for capital projects from the Hungarian Credit.
Mirko Velkovski from the regional Chamber of Commerce stated that the Pelagonija region has had great support in the past period and companies are achieving increased growth, which is between 4 and 5 percent annually. He added that there is great interest among businessmen in investments for development, primarily in the area of green investments and transition, as well as tourism.
