Skopje, 12 November 2023 (MIA) - The effect of foreign investments and the direct benefits for citizens are the most important and that is our main priority, said Free Zones Authority director Jovan Despotovski. 

"My priority are the people in this country whose money pays those companies to contribute back. And this is done through well-paid jobs and through the money paid back into the state budget. Currently, almost 18,000 citizens work in the free zones, which is three times more compared to 6,000 people in 2016. In the last two years, we have had wages higher than the national average. If six years ago, these companies paid 10 to 12 million euros into the budget, this year alone, according to estimates, we expect 75 million euros, which is seven times more. We have shown that this is no longer a country of cheap labor, but our main priority is well-paid jobs that will keep our young people at home," Despotovski told Kanal 77. 

For this purpose, the Free Zones Authority has launched a campaign "The Future Begins at Home", whose goal is to present job opportunities through the examples of young people who work in the zones.

Regarding entry of domestic companies in the free zones, Despotovski said the Free Zones Authority has already made agreements with two domestic companies to enter the zones, but the process has been stuck for months, which is why the implementation of these projects is being questioned.

He pointed out that domestic companies have the same access to financial support from the state, which has been used by over 900 domestic companies so far, adding that last year the total funds paid to domestic companies were higher compared to foreign ones, but he understands the expectations of domestic companies regarding the zones.

"The problem is that as long as we have a situation in which two or three institutions in a flock of a hundred are trying to push for changes, while 50 are blocking the process, we cannot move forward," said Despotovski. 

Photo: MIA archive