Government supports regional projects with €3 million
Approximately MKD 180 million (EUR 3 million) have been distributed at a call for the financing of projects on the development of planning regions for 28 projects submitted by the development centers of the eight planning regions in Macedonia.
“A legal criterion has been observed under which 7.2% of the overall funds were earmarked for the most developed region, i.e. the Skopje planning region. The least developed region, the Northeast region, received 17.3% of the funds, i.e. EUR 500,000,” stated Deputy PM for economic affairs Vladimir Pesevski, who chaired Wednesday the 16th session of the Council for Equitable Regional Development.
Nearly 80% of the projects financed at the public call are related to infrastructure, according to him.
“These projects envisage construction or rehabilitation of the local road infrastructure in five regions, infrastructure will be built in two local industrial zones in Veles and Negotino and a public park space is set to be designated in three regions. The regional market for goods in the Pelagonija region will be modernized, communal infrastructure projects are going to be implemented in three regions and the craftsmanship center in Kumanovo is due to be adapted and repaired,” Pesevski said.
Other projects, he added, will include tourism development in three regions whereas projects on environment protection and improvement of living conditions will be implemented in two regions.
The government every year is increasing the funds intended for projects to develop the country’s planning regions, Deputy PM Pesevski said noting that EUR 3 million had been singled out in 2016 - an increase by four times compared to 2014 when EUR 700,000 had been distributed.
In addition to the component for the financing of projects for planning region development, the program for equitable regional development also included two more components aimed at supporting projects for specific areas and village development projects. These projects are expected to be financially supported with over EUR 1.5 million.
