Skopje, 1 March 2022 (MIA) – Deputy PM for European Affairs Bojan Marichikj said better and more successful use of IPA funds and other bilateral foreign assistance is a priority. So far, he added, the country has a good score but can do much better and more visible for the citizens. Marichikj stressed these are important projects that make a difference in everyday life, as well as in the transformation of entire policies. In addition to discussing the use of IPA funds, in an interview with Frontline, Marichikj also commented on priorities in the process of European integration and planned activities in the coming period. He pointed out he doesn’t think that IPA funds are insufficiently used, adding that according to available data, almost 90 percent of assistance has been contracted from the second IPA framework, of which almost 60 percent of the funds have already been paid and implemented, the Secretariat for European Affairs said in a press release. “We can always do more and use the funds better. That is why mature projects are funded within the IPA III framework. Sectors that receive support remain, but programming is also done by the year, and the government has major impact in funding decisions. This gives us possibility to finance projects that don’t take years to prepare or document, but a year at most to be mature enough to start being implemented,” Marichikj said. According to him, there are funds but they need to be implemented correctly, adding that the focus is on strengthening programming capacities and using IPA funds for even greater benefits to the citizens.