Jasmina Majstoroska, head of the industrial and investment policy unit at the Ministry of Economy presented the draft program for supporting manufacturing competitiveness in 2023. As to support for exporting companies, the program projects co-funded development of export strategies, market research studies, marketing strategies, or brand development activities in the amount of 50% of the proven expenses or MKD 300,000 at most per individual business entity, procurement, implementation, certification and training in international quality standards, etc. Currently, the program for supporting manufacturing competitiveness in 2023 is going through the Government, and the open calls for using the measures will be issued in the course of February. 

The President of the Exporters’ Club, Prof. Dr. Darko Lazarov, pointed out that the club and the Chamber are at disposal to the companies, offering professional, expert, and technical assistance in applying and using funds intended for support of Macedonian exporters.

Presenting the remaining measures from the two projects the Economic Chamber is implementing, the Operations Director for Member Representation and Networking at the Chamber’s Professional Service, Biljana Peeva-Gjurikj, said to the participants that under the Supplier Development Program backed by the European Commission, 60 select SMEs from the Western Balkans will have the chance to receive free assistance with selling their products on EU markets. 

Open by 6 February, the program will involve companies from three sectors:
- processing of fruit and vegetables,
- manufacture of machinery and machinery parts,
- production of alcoholic beverages (wine, brandy/rakija, etc.).

Moreover, to celebrate five years from the establishment of the Western Balkans Common Regional Market, the Western Balkans 6 Chamber Investment Forum (WB6 CIF) announced European Commission-supported regional competition intended for companies from the six Western Balkan countries, presenting 21 awards in six categories.

 

Participants were also informed about five calls that support export-oriented companies while building exporting capacities under the Private Sector Regional Integration Support Activity, implemented in partnership with USAID, published on the Chamber web portal (www.mchamber.mk). The calls cover direct assistance to companies in terms of development of market export strategies/plans, digital transformation, implementation of international quality standards and circular economy, technical assistance in access to finance where selected companies will be aided by consultants who are experts in the field.

Aneta Dimovska, project manager at the Economic Chamber, shared the aims of an open call from a partner organization Macedonia 2025 under their Micro-, Small, and Medium-sized Companies Development Program supported by the Bitov Foundation. 

At the session, attending exporting companies became acquainted with the method for creating tools to promote public-private dialogue and create better business environment for export-oriented companies, employed by a National Export Council that will be established in the coming period by the Economic Chamber of North Macedonia. 

By the end of the meeting, the companies discussed communication mechanisms for priority issues and the requests of the members of the Exporters’ Club for designing measures to assist domestic export-oriented companies, considering the vital importance of exports to our economy.