Skopje, 8 June 2023 (MIA) – Improving the accountability of officials and administrative workers to the highest level, to protect the state from abuse of power, to abolish the 1.320 management boards of the institutions that have 129.000 employees, to prevent the illegitimate use of officials’ vehicles through the introduction of special registry labels, to revise the non-working days and “wake up” the correctives of those in power, said the head of the Economic Chamber, Branko Azeski, on Thursday.

In front of representatives from the business community, science and institutions, Azeski, in the third monthly address organized by the Chamber, once again reiterated that export must become a top national priority.

Azeski assessed that there is a great polarization between the Government and the opposition, and that the country has been continuously worsening since 2006, which, he said, harms business. He touched upon the “populism in the economic policies”, said the state should not meddle in the affairs of business and urged everyone to focus on their own field, in line with the post they hold.

The head of the Economic Chamber said it is necessary to implement economic diplomacy and addressed the European leaders as well, saying they have set a lot of precedents for the small countries. 

“In them we see hope, but also precedents which were set at the expense of the small countries and in the interest of the big countries. This is why, we should clearly tell them, if they intend to help us, then they should help us, not degrade us,” said Azeski.

Azeski called all affected parties to unite around business “as the sole cohesive factor that can wake up the country and push it outside its comfort zone.”

“We have a very difficult complex that we are incapable of solving our own issues, so someone has to come from abroad to create our destiny. We have to gather the strength to launch initiatives by ourselves. We have 74 initiatives regulating relations in the Balkans and none of them are our own and authentic, but are from abroad,” said Azeski.

Photo: MIA