Skopje, 22 January 2025 (MIA) - Time is needed for systemic solutions in coping with fires, floods, earthquakes and setting up a functional institution. Besides ad hoc solutions undertaken by institutions in the field of prevention, we will work on creating a functional system that will be able to respond to all challenges in two or three years from now, said Minister of Interior Panche Toshkovski on Wednesday.

Minister Toshkovski told a press conference after a meeting of the Steering Committee on Coordination of the Crisis Management System that working groups have been active in the past few months on the legislative changes and steps to be undertaken in this regard.

"I believe there are 19 pieces of legislation linked to this subject matter, and we have to find a systemic solution and carry out thorough restructuring. That is why this meeting is taking place in January and not in June as before," said Toshkovski.

He added that foreign experts have been engaged for this purpose.

"Macedonia has trained firefighters and responsible mayors but this is not because the state has a systemic solution but due to their professionalism and capability to respond to the challenges," said Toshkovski.

The MoI noted that capacities need to be strengthened, along with more funds and professionalism, adding that experts have identified overlaps in institutions' competencies but also dysfunctional institutions, both in material and human resources.

Crisis Management Center (CMC) director Stojanche Angelov said he has been talking about the deficiencies of the crisis management system, the protection and rescue system, and the fire protection system for the past three years.

"The Government is committed to overcoming this problem in a systemic way and efforts are invested on a daily basis to eliminate the perceived shortcomings," said Angelov.

He added this is not a simple process, whereas the merger of the CMC and the Protection and Rescue Directorate (PRD) should not be about making one super-dysfunctional institution from two insufficiently functional ones, but a healthy institution that will unify the functions of both agencies.

Photo: MIA