Skopje, 17 December 2024 (MIA) - No one can predict with certainty what will happen to the global economy, Europe is facing challenges that will, surely, affect the region. But for now, despite the situation, especially in Germany, there are no announcements of layoffs, but there is a need of a workforce, representatives from the Chamber Investment Forum (CIF) said on Tuesday before their meeting in Skopje.

The representatives pointed out the need for Western Balkan countries to fully integrate economically and eliminate obstacles to economic cooperation. They stated that it is good that inflation at the global level is around 3 percent, and 2.1-2.2 percent in developed countries, and that it is not expected to rise in the medium or long term, which means that interests rates are also lower and that benefits business.

According to CIF, Europe is not currently discussing raising the prices of electricity or gar, but external factors cannot be predicted, especially until the new US administration takes office and the elections in Germany are over.

CIF believes that the change of government in the US and the establishment of a new policy, as well as the war in Ukraine, are just some of the causes of economic uncertainty.

"We need stability and high degree of responsibility for the situation we find ourselves in. Economic development in Europe is expected to raise sharply due to some long-term processes over which we have no influence. The business is facing uncertainty, and there are bound to be repercussions, especially given the situation in Germany which is our largest trading partner. We are doing everything we can to convince the structures at home and in the region that the economies of the Western Balkans must increase cooperation with each other because they are small. We need to unite and tell political leaders to be brave and invest in something that will allow some progress," stressed the President of the Economic Chamber of North Macedonia, Branko Azeski.

We find ourselves before, he added, a global restructuring that is clearly energy-related.

"They are the key, but that will open the question of high costs that certain countries like the US pays to international organizations. That can't go unanswered. We are early because we are struggling for existence, but we have to be prepared for events like this," Azeski noted.

CIF head Lulzim Rafuna announced a new plan for 2025.

"We will enter 2025 with a new plan. We will focus on removing all administrative barriers, on promoting the Western Balkans as a friendly business environment, providing help for our companies to enter the market, but also on finding new markets, outside the EU, depending on the business requirements, according to demands of the business,” said Rafuna.

According to him, CIF is very important mechanism for all member-countries, created by the private sector, made up of 375.000 enterprises that employ almost 7 million young people.

"We are partners in the implementation of the development plan that will allow us to demand more work from our governments in order to have the strongest possible economic cooperation between us. The forum will discuss the administrative obstacles and ask political actors to eliminate those obstacles. We will do everything in our power to facilitate the procedures and conditions for creating a business," explained Rafuna.

The focus of today's 33rd meeting of the KIF Board of Directors is on priority activities in view of the start of the implementation of the new Regional Common Market Action Plan. ssh/ba/

Photo/video: MIA