Skopje, 3 December 2025 (MIA) — Macedonian graduates in information and communications technology have huge potential and the private sector should employ them so they can then help the country in its digital transformation, Minister of Digital Transformation Stefan Andonovski said in his remarks at the MASIT 2.0 Recode Reality conference taking place in Skopje.

According to Andonovski, the government has decided to rely on the private sector in the digitization process and now both sides needed to work together on projects for the local and international markets.

"We continue supporting the private sector," he said, adding that the state did not have its own agency for digitization and relied on the private sector for related projects. 

Andonovski said their next objective was "to reach the next level: bring European projects into the country so they are implemented by Macedonian companies — for Macedonian companies to be responsible for carrying out those projects — because this is the way to bring European standards and encourage domestic companies to grow as well as for the administration to keep pace with them." 

"The second part of our homework is for state institutions to employ enough quality staff who will remain to lead projects within the institutions. We are on the right track and we will achieve results," the digital transformation minister said.

Responding to a reporter's question, he confirmed that salaries in the private sector were higher than those in the public sector but he added that the state offered more stable jobs.

"Regarding competitive salaries, the state will never catch up with the private sector just as the private sector will never catch up with the stability of state jobs. We are trying to make positions in the ministry more attractive through conferences, training and trips abroad, activities and policy-making, while the private sector motivates its staff more through salaries. That symbiosis can bring results," Andonovski said.

MASIT president Jordan Dimitrovski said the ICT industry contributed 4.5% to the national GDP, or EUR 1.65 billion per year. He said sector had over 3,000 companies and more than 25,000 employees, whose average gross monthly salary exceeded EUR 2,500.

He also said the Macedonian IT sector was doing well and kept up with industry trends.

"The growth of the ICT sector is obvious, which can be seen in the preliminary figures for 2025. Macedonian IT companies follow European standards. Many of them, which are at the level of European ones, work abroad, especially for European countries. We follow European trends, but also the challenges. Still, the IT sector in our country is in good condition and every year records growth of over 10%," Dimitrovski said.

Organized by the MASIT Chamber of Commerce for Information and Communication Technologies, the Recode Reality conference has 300 participants from the country and the region as well as leading European ICT industry. Discussion topics include digital infrastructure and telecommunication modernization as well as artificial intelligence. mr/

фото: МИА