Skopje, 21 December 2023 (MIA) - The Government and the Ministry of Finance have provided access to fresh additional capital of EUR 50 million for the investments of domestic small and medium-sized enterprises. The funds will be placed through the Development Bank of North Macedonia, and will be available to end users through commercial banks in the country.

The funds have been provided through the French Development Agency (AFD), through agreements signed on Friday by Finance Minister Fatmir Besimi and Development Bank of North Macedonia CEO Kire Naumov.

AFD Director for Europe and Asia, Mathieu Vasseur, signed the agreement on behalf of the Agency, the Ministry of Finance said in a press release. 

"With the agreements we are signing, the Government and the Ministry of Finance provide access to new fresh capital for domestic companies in the amount of EUR 50 million intended for green and socially responsible investments. In this way, we show concern for supporting companies with favorable funds on their liquidity and supporting their investments through funds on favorable terms," said Minister Besimi. 

According to him, the users are small and medium-sized enterprises, which are the most numerous in the country and have the largest number of employees.

"The funds from the Agency will be allocated to the Development Bank of North Macedonia, which in turn will place this credit line through commercial banks to the end users, i.e. companies," the Minister said after the signing event. 

Besimi added that this is in addition to the support that companies receive continuously, noting that they have a reliable partner in the Government.

"Macedonian domestic companies, especially small and medium-sized enterprises, have a reliable partner in the Government as was shown during the crisis, when they received significant support through the adopted anti-crisis measures package. The implementation of the 9th set of anti-crisis measures is underway, in which the support for these companies in the amount of nearly EUR 500 million is more significant," said Besimi. 

Photo: Ministry of Finance