Skopje, 24 June 2025 (MIA) - Addressing Tuesdays's panel discussion on the Government’s one year in office, Minister of Local Self-Government Zlatko Perinski said the Ministry he heads treats a topic that is essential for all citizens because it determines the policies related to local and regional development.  

He said he was satisfied because in the past period the Ministry of Local Self-Government has managed to detect all the weaknesses, shortcomings in implementation in the past, adding that there had been a failure to create policy.

Perinski added that this is a sector encompassing regional development and ultimately, insufficient attention to this sector has inevitably led to the current situation - a general concentration of the inhabitants of Macedonia in larger urban centres, and emigration from smaller and rural areas.

"Because of all these things that were not implemented in the past, as a Government, we decided to intervene towards assistance and support at the local level. When you plan to build policies for balanced regional development, you cannot say that those policies will be successfully implemented if the foundation is not properly laid," the Minister of Local Self-Government said, noting that this intervention program will improve the conditions in which local self-governments have found themselves.

He pointed out that in the past, the National Council for Balanced Regional Development was coordinated by the Deputy PM in charge of economic affairs. He noted that the National Council for Balanced Regional Development is a body that is sublimated by all levels of government, from central and local government, where a decision is made in which direction to invest, and that has been changed, i.e. the body is now headed by the Minister of Local Self-Government. Perinski stressed that this is a significant reform.

He added that the amendments to the Law on Local Self-Government are currently in parliamentary procedure and expressed hope that it will be backed by the SDSM and DUI MPs.

In addition, he announced that the Resource Centre will soon be operational, and after the local elections it will be available to local self-governments.

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