MAIN CARACTERISTICS OF SME’s
Nearly 99% of the companies in Macedonia are registered as small enterprises, employing nearly 55% of the employees in the private sector. According to the main activity registered, the majority of businesses are engaged in the wholesale and retail trade sector (around 47%), manufacturing sector (13.1%), and the transportation, storage, and communications sectors (approximately 10%). The largest employer is the manufacturing sector, with 35.6% of the total number of employees in the private sector.
SME’s NATIONAL SUPPORT POLICIES
The Macedonian Government puts a high priority on the development of the SME sector, focusing on measures and activities to support the development and competitiveness of SMEs, and to improve the business environment in general. In order to achieve a higher degree of coordination among the relevant factors, the National Council for Competitiveness and Entrepreneurship was established as an advisory body to the Government, linking the private and public sector to improve the climate for entrepreneurship development.
The Agency for promotion of enterpreneurship is the major player on the national level for the implementation and coordination of national and international support to the small businesses. The Agency works in cooperation with various foundations, development centers, centers for technology transfer, Euro Info centers, as well as private consultants.