Refutation: We work responsibly and transparently, all with the aim of improving the overall national economy
All activities and plans of the Directorate for Technological Industrial Development Zones are in full compliance with the law, and each new employment is thoroughly analyzed and justified in order to improve services. This provides concrete benefits for all stakeholders – better benefits for the users of the zones and well-paid jobs for quality and experienced staff. All this is far from wasteful, i.e. it is necessary to ensure the continuous development of the zones and improve the investment climate in the country.
In 2025, the Directorate for Technological Industrial Development Zones concluded a public procurement agreement with the Private Employment Agency Motivi in the amount of 40 million denars excluding VAT. The procurement was carried out in accordance with the Annual Public Procurement Plan and was necessary because the current number of permanent employees in the Directorate is 81 people, which is not sufficient to implement the entire number of responsibilities of the Directorate.
Of the total number of permanent employees, only 12 people are employed in TIDZ Skopje 1 and 2, there are 9 employees in TIDZ Shtip, 4 people in TIDZ Kicevo, 3 people in TIDZ Prilep, 4 people in TIDZ Struga, 3 people in TIDZ Strumica and 4 people in TIDZ Tetovo.
This number of employees is not sufficient for the full implementation of the responsibilities of the Directorate in the zones, which operate 24 hours a day, nor for the uninterrupted execution of activities in them. For these reasons, it was necessary to engage a sufficient number of employees who would enable the ongoing and uninterrupted execution of the responsibilities, in order to provide quality service to the users of the zones.
As for the Annual Employment Plan in the Directorate for 2025, it envisages the implementation of a total of 65 new employments, most of which relate to the same jobs that in previous years and this year, people have been hired through a private employment agency, in order to continuously and smoothly carry out activities for the sake of quality service to the users of the zones.
At the same time, the implementation of this annual plan will reduce the additional costs incurred by the Directorate for TIDZ in connection with the hiring of people through a private employment agency.
The engagement of an international auditing firm is fully justified in order to ensure an independent and expert evaluation of the financial and operational operations of the Directorate, which is common for institutions that have strategic importance for the national economy, in accordance with the best international accounting and auditing standards for transparency and accountability.
Total foreign direct investments for 2024 amounted to 1255 billion euros, which is a historical record in independent Macedonia, with a full 400 million euros of growth in the last quarter alone, and the average score from the survey on satisfaction of zone users rose to 4.48 (out of a maximum of 5), while the profit from the operations of the Directorate for TIDZ for 2024 amounted to 107,155,967.00 denars.
Namely, according to the latest report on the implementation of the integrity system in 2024, prepared by the State Commission for the Prevention of Corruption, the Directorate for TIDZ was among the higher ranked, i.e. in 15th place with 61.1% fulfillment, unlike 2023 when the percentage of fulfillment was only 39.2%.
Taking all this into account, as well as the fact that we are in negotiations with numerous multinational companies, we clearly and responsibly claim that every engagement in the Directorate for TIDZ is thoroughly analyzed and has legal bases, which is neither wasteful nor irrational spending of funds, but a necessary investment in the capacities that enable the smooth functioning of the zones and attract new investments with added value.
At the same time, we appeal to all media for conscientious information of the public, especially in periods when it is sensitive to such tendentious disputes.