Business Center in support of SMEs from the region for using funds from the Fund for Innovation and Technological Development

The Business Center, which was established within the Centre for development of the South-East planning region and functions as a regional office that offers support to the private sector, in the future will intensify the cooperation with the Fund for Innovation and Technological Development (FITR) by informing potential beneficiaries for all public calls of the Fund and will provide technical support to potential applicants from the South-East planning region.

This mutual cooperation of the Business Center with FITR is in order to jointly help small and medium enterprises from the South-East planning region to have more eased access to the budget funds that are intended for their support and development. As a result and continuation of the long-term mutual cooperation in the next period, the Centre for development of the SEPR and FITR will organize information days as well as additional support to all interested small and medium enterprises in the region.

A voucher program of the Business Center for Capacity Building of Enterprises is envisaged and it is implemented through the project “Sustainable and inclusive balanced regional development”, financially supported by the Ministry of Local Self-Government and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation in the Republic of North Macedonia in order to support the development and economic growth in the region, to encourage the increase of the number of new jobs and to enable a better standard of living in SEPR.

We invite all interested companies to be regularly informed and to follow the information published on social networks by the Centre for Development of SEPR as well as the Business Center of the Centre for development of the SEPR:

Regional Business Center: WEB: investinseregion.mk

FB page: https://www.facebook.com/bizniscentarjipr

The twenty-fifth (XXV) session of the Council for Development of the South-East Planning Region was held

On 02.02.2021 the twenty-fifth (XXV) session of the Council for Development of the South-East Planning Region was held, which due to the Covid-19 pandemic, was held online, through the ZOOM platform. The session was attended by the mayors of the municipalities in the region and the Manager of the Centre for development of the South-East planning region.

On the session it was mainly discussed on the manner of treating mosquitoes in the territories of the municipalities in the South-East planning region for 2021. A Decision was made for mutual activity of the municipalities for treatment of mosquitoes in 2021 by land, on the basis of which two larvicidal and three adult treatments against mosquitoes will be performed, i.e. three terrestrial aerosol dеsinsections against adult mosquitoes with ULV method and two larvicidal dеsinsections on the territories of the ten municipalities in the region.

This Decision was adopted earlier in order to meet the deadlines and recommendations of the Public Health Centres for timely mosquito spraying and to follow the recommended spraying and treatment intervals to increase efficiency, get the best result from this process and protect the health of the citizens of our region.

At the same time, a conclusion was adopted to ask the Ministry of Transport and Communications to include the area of ​​Monospitovo swamp in the locations that are priority for mosquito spraying by the Ministry as an example for Lake Dojran from our region. Namely, due to the unavailability of the terrain, there is no possibility to perform terrestrial (from the ground) aerosol dеsinsections and on the other hand this swamp is the largest source of mosquitoes in this region.

At the twenty-fifth session of the Council of SEPR, the Decisions for sale of the old  motor vehicle and for purchase of a new official motor vehicle for the needs of the Centre for development of the South-East planning region were unanimously adopted.

At this session was determined the amount of funds that each of the municipalities in the region will allocate annually for financing and smooth operation of the Public Enterprise for Catching Stray Dogs “Astra – Luna” – Strumica, for which a decision was made by the Council.

Adopted the Financial Plan for the work of the CPRIP and the Action Plan for implementation of the Program for balanced regional development of the South-East Planning Region for 2021

On December 30, 2020, due to the pandemic Covid-19, through the ZOOM platform, the XXIV (twenty-fourth) and last Session of the Council for Development of the South-East Planning Region for 2020 was held online, attended by the mayors of the municipalities in the region and the Manager of The Centre for development of the South-East Planning Region.

The Manger of the Centre Ms. Zhulieta Gjurkova presented the draft Financial Plan for work of the Centre for development of the South-East planning region for 2021, as well as the draft Action Plan for 2021 for implementation of the Programme for balanced regional development of the South-East region which were unanimously adopted at the session.

At this Session, the decisions for handover and transfer of use and maintenance of the local road from the village of Borievo to the village of Koleshino in the municipality of Bosilovo and the municipality of Novo Selo were also unanimously adopted; the decision for handover and transfer of use and maintenance of the local road from point with R 604 road Strumica – Dojran with junction P-611 road Valandovo – Gevgelija in the municipality of Dojran and the decisions for handover and transfer of use and maintenance of the road Bogorodica – Stojakovo, crossroads with regional road Gevgelija – Bogorodica first phase of the municipality of Bogdanci and second phase of the municipality of Gevgelija, were also adopted.

INFORMATION GUIDE – COLLECTION OF GOOD PRACTICES FOR COMBATING THE EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE IN COMMUNITIES

The negative consequences resulting from the climate change are taking place on global level and are increasingly affecting people’s daily lives.

Sharing good practices and experience between local communities and regions in different countries in the field of mitigating climate change is crucial for achieving sustainable results in this direction, both at the local and on the regional and national levels, which allows to identify needs and working solutions, as well as to apply them where necessary.

In that direction, Centre for development of the South-East planning region in partnership with the Municipality of Sandanski developed an Information Guide – Collection of good practices for combating the effects of climate change in communities, within the project “Joint actions for prevention and reduction of the consequences of disasters in the municipalities of Sandanski and Radovish“ co-financed by the European Union through the Interreg-IPA Cross-Border Cooperation Programme between the Republic of Bulgaria and the Republic of North Macedonia 2014-2020.

The Information Guide emphasizes the importance of good practices and implemented projects with various measures to adapt to climate change and risks such as floods, erosion, drought, etc. Selected examples of good practices include successful projects from Bulgaria and North Macedonia, as well as European and international examples of climate change mitigation activities and projects focusing on the need to implement the so-called green infrastructure as a sustainable measure to combat the effects and prevent the risks associated with climate change.

Through this Information Guide, local and regional stakeholders can address ideas for improving the quality of their projects, programs and policies to combat the effects of climate change and ensure the sustainable development of local communities and regions.

The information guide as a bilingual document in Macedonian and English in printed form is available in the premises of the Centre for development of the South-East planning region, and in electronic form at the following link: https://www.jointactions.eu/mk/publications.

Improved capacities of 4 Day Centers for persons with physical and mental disabilities

Within the project “Creating conditions for better social inclusion of people with disabilities in the South-East planning region” funded by the Ministry of Local Self-Government and the Swiss Agency for development and cooperation, a series of trainings were held on gaining skills for occupational orientation and rules for playing of the Paralympic sports discipline “Boccia” in 4 Day Centers for people with disabilities in the South-East planning region.

Within the project “Creating conditions for better social inclusion of people with disabilities in the South-East planning region” funded by the Ministry of Local Self-Government and the Swiss Agency for development and cooperation, a series of trainings were held on gaining skills for occupational orientation and rules for playing of the Paralympic sports discipline “Boccia” in 4 Day Centers for people with disabilities in the South-East planning region.

Participants in the trainings were employees and volunteers, users and parents of users in the Day Care Centers who through theoretical and practical sessions got acquainted with the rules of playing the Paralympic sports discipline Boccia, textile printing techniques with the help of screen printing, making handmade decorations with various themes with the help of a Potters’ wheel and silicone molds.

Namely, within the project, implemented by the Centre for development of the South-East planning region, the Day Centers for persons with disabilities in Valandovo, Gevgelija, Radovish and Strumica are equipped with props and equipment for work occupation, psychomotor development and access to any object.

Potter’s wheel, weaving loom, equipment for the sport Boccia, screen printing for printing various topics on fabric and paper, Crawlers stair lift, tricycles, interactive devices, soft play equipment and various materials for making decorative souvenirs are part of the equipment that enriches the existing educational program that the end users have received, while the provided transporters for wheelchairs (Crawler stair lift) in the future will enable uninterrupted participation of these people in various events that take place inside objects that do not have adequate access for people with physical disabilities.

It is a project that contributes in the field of raising awareness for the inclusion of people with various disabilities in the social life in the region as well as improving the daily stay in the Day Centers.

The procured equipment and the acquired knowledge will enable long-term changes in the way of working with people with various disabilities regarding the improvement of working capabilities, increasing labor market and social inclusion involvement at regional level.

Second forum session within the Regional Community Forums for 2020

As part of the second forum session, an e-questionnaire was completed in order to prioritize project concepts as proposed solutions emerged from the participants in the first forum session, and developed by experts in cooperation with the Centre for Development of SEPR. The questionnaires were completed by a total of 62 participants, representatives of the municipalities, public administration from the region, business sector, pensioners, unemployed persons, etc., of which 26 (41.9%) are women and 36 (58.1%) are men .

After the analyzes and the summarized data, the concepts for project proposals were ranked in the following order:

-Enrichment of the tourist offer in the South-East planning region

-Construction of an access road to the regional station for stray dogs

-Construction of a local road on the route v. Pogulevo – v. Damjan

Within the Second Forum Session on 15.12.2020, an online presentation of the voting results was held, as well as the analytical study of the five proposed concepts and where given the recommendations for their improvement. Furthermore, these results will be presented to the Council for Development of the South-East Region, which will take them into account when determining the final list of priority projects.

At the XXIII Session of the Council of SEPR determined the annual list of priority projects for 2021

On 15.12.2020 in order to observe the measures for protection from the global pandemic Covid-19, XXIII (twenty-third) Session of the Council for Development of the South-East Planning Region was held online through the platform ZOOM. Before the present mayors by the forum moderator and external consultant-expert engaged through the project “Sustainable inclusive balanced regional development” were presented the process of ranking project proposals of regional and micro-regional significance for the South-East planning region by the citizens of the region.

Presented and analytical study for economic viability of capital investments individually on each proposed project. After a brief review of each of the proposed projects during the Session, the Council adopted the Annual List of Priority Projects for 2021 according to the following order :

1. Enrichment of the tourist offer in the South-East planning region

2. Construction of an access road to the regional station for stray dogs

3. Construction of a local road on the route v. Pogulevo – v. Damjan The project proposal was determined on the reserve list –

Implementation of the third phase of the project Construction of a local road to connect the settlements of Borievo and Koleshino. The priority list refers to the implementation of projects that will enrich the tourist offer in the region, will improve the road infrastructure and will enable the connection of local roads in the region through funds from the Bureau for balanced regional development and own participation of the municipalities in the South-East region. According to the established list, the Center for Development of the South-East Planning Region will apply to the Bureau for Regional Development for their financing through the Balanced Regional Development Program for 2021.

This year for the first time the project proposals before being adopted by The Council for Development of SEPR inclusively and with participatory participation was scored and prioritized by the citizens of the South-East Planning Region through Community Forum Sessions as a new way to select projects for the Bureau of Regional Development, which forums due to the pandemic Covid-19 took place on a questionnaire from stakeholders in the South-East Planning Region.

Public call for submitting a loan application from the Micro and Small Enterprise Fund

Dear, The public call for submitting a loan application from the Fund for Micro and Small Enterprises for direct support of micro and small companies, sole proprietors and craftsmen who pay real income tax and are registered in the Republic of North Macedonia, the KOVID 3 call, will be announced on 16.12.2020, the application starts at 00:01. The criterion for allocation of funds is based on the principle “FIRST COMING, FIRST SERVED” for borrowers who meet the criteria for loan approval. The public call is published on the following link: https://www.mbdp.com.mk/mk/vesti/687-1-7?fbclid=IwAR3_3sNHwMU1yuOjkza8ZiFMSP09VaNgWMWD3-xn-G-_aNbqCJXvJPLKHAE .

For additional information, please contact Dance Pop-Ivanova Ilieva, tel. 071 / 364-934, e-mail: dance.popivanova@gmail.com

The twenty-second (XXII) Session of the Council for Development of the Southeast Planning Region was held

On December 7, 2020, the twenty-second (XXII) Session of the Council for Development of the South-East Planning Region was held, online through the virtual platform Zoom, due to the global emergency COVID 19.

On The session was attended by the Mayors of the municipalities within the Southeast Planning Region, as well as the expert Mr. Tihomir Petreski in charge of preparing a cost-effectiveness study for each of the selected concept solutions.

The key point of this Session of the Council for Development of the South-East Planning Region was the presentation of the proposed concept solutions, the fourth step of the concept for regional community forums, a tool for identification, prioritization and preparation of projects for financing from the Balanced Regional Development Program for 2021 , through the Ministry of Local Self-Government and the Bureau for Regional Development.

The Program for development of the South-East planning region for the next four-year period 2020-2024 is in the final stage of preparation

On 02.12.2020, virtually on the online platform ZOOM was held the Final Conference, where the working draft version of the Program for development of the South-East planning region 2020-2024 was presented. The Conference was attended by the Mayors – members of the Council for development of the South-East planning region, representatives of the Ministry of Local Self-Government and other stakeholders from the South-East region (representatives of municipalities, public institutions, private and civil society).

The Final Conference was opened with an introductory speech by Mr. Kosta Janevski, President of the Council for development of the South-East planning region and Ms. Zhulieta Gjurkova, Head of the Centre for development of the South-East planning region. In her welcoming speech, Ms. Gjurkova emphasized that the Program for development of the South-East planning region is one of the most important documents not only for the Centre but also for all municipalities, civil society organizations and the business sector in the region and she also clarified that the Program will be in accordance with the National Strategy for Regional Development and will be adopted by the Council of SEPR with the prior consent of the Council for Balanced Regional Development of Republic of North Macedonia.

The expert team presented the draft version of the Program for development of the South-East planning region 2020-2024, the entire process of preparation of the Program, involvement and the contribution of stakeholders, productivity and work of past workshops for the development of the Program, as well as activities that were realized between the sessions.

The conference ended with a fruitful discussion where the mayors of the region and all stakeholders had the opportunity to express remarks, suggestions, and comments regarding the presented medium-term document of the South-East planning region.

“The Program for development of the SEPR  is quite comprehensive and in the future with all relevant factors and stakeholders we will fight the proposed strategic goals to gain greater significance with hope that the South-East planning region will receive a higher percentage in the allocation of funds to the regions. I think that there are many more challenges ahead of us, especially in the area of ​​infrastructure and I hope that all together we will succeed in achieving some of those challenges in the upcoming period.” – highlight for the end Mr.Kosta Janevski, President of the Council for development of the SEPR.

The process of preparation of the Program for development of the South-East planning region  is supported by the project “Sustainable and inclusive balanced regional development”, which is implemented with financial support from the Ministry of Local Self-Government and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation in Republic of North Macedonia.