Establishment of a Platform for Dialogue and Transparency of State Aid Policy in the Western Balkan-6

The main goal of this project is to increase access to state aid data, deepen the regional integration and compliance of state aid policies with EU standards through enhanced transparency and stakeholder collaboration.

To address these challenges, the project will focus on the following specific objectives:

  • Developing a comprehensive web platform to facilitate open dialogue and access to state aid data and evidence information.
  • Building consensus among stakeholders on strategic directions for state aid policy and practice (deepening the engagement with stakeholders that was successfully initiated in the previous phase)
  • Advocating for improved state aid governance through a regularly updated database, targeted briefings, and public engagement.

Donor: Open Society Foundations – Western Balkans

Citizen oversight: Bridging the gap between policy promises and delivery in four development areas

The project is aimed at encouraging participatory and responsible democracy in the development sectors (education, health, social and economy) of North Macedonia, where the voice of citizens is heard, priorities are transparently set and political promises are constantly translated into tangible reality, ensuring a sustainable socio – economic progress and inclusive growth.

The general goal of the project is to promote deliberative democracy in reforms in key development areas (socio-economic, education and health) with a focus on youth and women, through the engagement of various stakeholders in the process of prioritizing reforms and encouraging political accountability through monitoring the fulfillment of political promises.

Specific objectives include:

  • To identify to what extent policy-defined priorities are in accordance with citizens’ priorities
  • To create evidence of gaps between political promises and needs, and gaps in the realization of political promises
  • To encourage political responsibility and strengthen citizens’ awareness, by monitoring the implementation of political promises using the Economic Compass as a digital tool

Donor: Civica Mobilitas

Finance Think is supported by Switzerland through Civica Mobilitas.

Socioeconomic Assessment of Coal Communities in North Macedonia and Kosovo

The goal of the project is: 1) to assess the socioeconomic consequences (risks and opportunities) of transitioning out of coal for the communities directly and indirectly affected by the closure of mines and coal-fired power plants, and 2) to inform the design of local transition plans – that is, plans that addresses the distributional consequences of the mine/power plant phase-out while seizing the development opportunities for the affected communities.

Donor: The World Bank

State aid and foreign direct investment in the Western Balkan countries: Fostering transparency and generating space for regional coordination of investment policies

The overall objective of the project is to improve transparency of and to generate evidence on the FDI-related state aid in the context of the regional integration of Western Balkan countries.

The overall objective is broken down to the following specific objectives:

  1. To identify (map) state aid programs and key measures and relate it to measurable indicators of effectiveness,
  2. To produce evidence on the state aid granted to foreign companies in view of its effectiveness and of support to the regional integration,
  3. To increase public awareness at regional, national and local level by influencing public discourse on the importance of state aid transparency and alignment with the EU requirements, and as a promotor of regional integration

Donor: Open Society Foundations – Western Balkans

Diagnostics of the informal economy in North Macedonia

The objective of the action is to diagnose the informal economy, re-estimate its size and the size/importance of its various facets, by relying on tax administration data. By so doing, the action will create a roadmap of actions and direction of resources that will produce the maximal result.

Donor: International Labor Organization

Duration: September – December 2023

Action for formalization of micro-performers of economic activity in the informal economy

The purpose of this action is to increase the formalization of micro-companies in North Macedonia, ie performers of economic activity in the informal economy. Hence, the action addresses legal informality. More specific objectives of the action include:

  1. Understand the reasons for the informality of micro-operators in the informal economy (high fees, high administrative burden, low probability of being discovered, poor awareness of the benefits of formalization, etc.)
  2. To understand the activity of informal micro-performers
  3. To design a map / list of all fees, including parafiscal charges, related to starting a micro-business and running it in the early years
  4. To propose: a) a plan for reduction of the costs for firming of micro-performers of activity, including rationalization of the duties identified in 3; and b) policy measures (fiscal, labor, information) that will encourage greater formalization of micro-operators.

Client: GIZ North Macedonia