Skopje, 26 June 2023 (MIA) - Deputy PM for Economic Affairs Fatmir Bytyqi said Monday that human capital will be at the center of the National Development Strategy, whose preparation is underway and is expected to be passed by the Parliament by the end of the year. 

Anything else that needs to be done, Bytyqi added, will be in the function of how to make full use of human capital, and how to provide the opportunities that citizens seek in other countries, so that they can find it in their own country. 

"23 in-depth analyses were made in 23 sectors of living in society. This has resulted in six sectoral areas, including demography, i.e. human capital, then the rule of law, investment in the digital economy, digitization and green energy. That is everything that is considered at this point to be the driving force and should remain the driving force of the change that should happen in the next twenty years, which is to get a better quality of life for the citizens," said Bytyqi. 

He expects the first guidelines on what the new strategy should contain to be ready by the end of the summer.

"Just over a year and a half ago, we started creating a long-term development strategy through an inspiring and comprehensive process of creating a document that will represent a common vision for the development of our country and society in the next two decades," Bytyqi pointed out, adding that the strategy should give the necessary vision for the country's development goals. 

The creation of the strategy is based on the quadruple helix model focusing on the four main aspects, i.e. Government, Universities, Industry, and Civil society. Bytyqi said everyone is involved in the management board, as well as in all stages of the creation of the National Development Strategy.

"This is probably the most inclusive process we have had in our country so far. I am convinced that only through inclusiveness and active participation we will achieve the necessary and desired consensus for setting, as well as implementing and monitoring, the goals outlined by the National Development Strategy," said Bytyqi. 

Expectations are that the strategy will be passed by the end of the year, first in the Government and then in Parliament. 

In response to a reporter's question on the migration of citizens, Bytyqi said the migration processes started about fifteen years ago, noting that the reason for them is probably the need for new labor in the EU countries.

"That is the answer we are looking for in the National Development Strategy. You can't deal with the consequences if you don't solve the causes and that's why we have to fix this segment in society, so that in the end when people choose between their country or another country, they can choose their homeland," said Bytyqi. 

Photo: MIA