October 1999

Overview: FYR Macedonia

Background

The OSIM - Open Society Institute - Macedonia, is one of the youngest (established on October 1, 1992) in the chain of foundations in the Eastern-European countries. During 1999 the number of programmes is being increased and major projects significant for the whole country are being financed. The Institute has already invested in the field of transformation of education, supported privatisation and research towards its implementation, a process crucial for the future of Macedonia, as well as a series of other projects and activities significant for the present period of transition.

The WEB page of the Macedonian Ministry of Development, made in co-operation with the Macedonian Information Agency (MIA), was presented. The main goal of this activity is to inform potential foreign investors about the activities, programmes and projects in the framework of the Ministry of Development.

Statistic Bureau of the Republic of Macedonia and Macedonian Business Systems presented a joint draft project, the Statistic Information System - SIPOV. This project was initiated in March of 1999 and was realised in a record period of six months, within the framework of the planed budget, which was provided by the international funds. The global goal of SIPOV is the modernisation of the statistic system in the country from a technical, methodological and capacity aspects, in order to the country fulfil the statistic demands to the associative membership in the EU.

The most required groups of statistic information that the bureau provides to its clients are the information concerning the research in the fields of foreign trade, industrial production, variation of the prices, employment and salaries. The first phase of the project will provide to selected users (ministries and governmental institutions) access to the statistic information through the usage of Internet and e-mail. The users will be able to start using the information by April 2000. The second phase will include the provision of the services to foreign users and partial payment for the services.

* There are two Universities, University of Skopje and University of Bitola with 27 Faculties (14 of them have their own homepages) and 5 additional high schools.