This year we have the honor to host the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank Group (WB) Constituency Meeting, in which our country is a member, for the first time since 2003, when our central bank and the ministry of finance played the role of organizers of this significant event. This meeting is an opportunity to confirm the willingness to hold such high expert level events. The Constituency meetings are a forum where high representatives of the fiscal and monetary policy institutions in the Constituency member countries exchange opinions and discuss the IMF and the WB policies and programs, as well as other key issues for the European and the world economy. This was stated today at the press briefing at the National Bank, organized on the occasion of holding the IMF/WB Constituency Meeting, headed by the Netherlands and Belgium from 21 to 23 June in Skopje.
“At the Meeting, on Saturday, within the main topic “How to make Capitalism work for all?”, the participants will discuss the increasing income inequality, factors causing this trend, long-term and short-term consequences on the economic growth, as well as several other segments of the society and instruments and policies available to policymakers. Special emphasis will be placed on policies for promoting greater competition, effective use of fiscal policy for redistributive purposes, improving the management in the financial sector sphere and investments in human capital.” - said the Governor of the National Bank, Anita Angelovska Bezhoska, highlighting that these important topics are also related to a series of further activities at an international level, as well as with specific IMF and WB Group plans and programs.
“On Friday, at the Faculty of Economics in Skopje, Anthony De Lannoy and Koen Davidse, executive directors of the IMF and the WB, in charge of the Constituency, will hold lectures in from of the students. The same day, a press conference will be held in the Ministry of Finance, where the Vice President of the WB Group for Europe and Central Asia, Cyril Miller, will present the Strategy for Cooperation between the World Bank and the Republic of Northern Macedonia.” - said the Minister of Finance, Dragan Tevdovski. A Memorandum of Cooperation with the International Finance Corporation (IFC) for connecting domestic companies with foreign companies will be signed at the event in the Ministry. Signatories to the Memorandum will be the Vice President of the IFC for Latin America, Caribbean, Europe and Central Asia, Georgina Baker, Minister of Finance, Tevdovski and the Swiss Ambassador to our country, Sybille Suter Tejada. As pointed out today, this project is funded by the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO). “For us, the IFC project for connecting foreign and domestic companies is of great importance because it will strengthen the effect of the entry of foreign companies in the country. For foreign companies, it will mean connection with quality suppliers, while for domestic companies will mean additional work, the possibility of placement in new markets and transfer of practical knowledge", said the Minister of Finance.
High Representatives of the IMF and WB will participate in the Constituency Meeting. Director of the IMF Fiscal Affairs Department Vitor Gaspar, Director of the IMF European Department Paul Thomsen, World Bank Group Vice Presidents for Europe and Central Asia, Cyril Miller and Human Development Annette Dixon and IFC Vice President for Latin America , Caribbean, Europe and Central Asia, Georgina Baker, as well as IMF and WB directors in charge of the Dutch-Belgian Constituency, Anthony De Lannoy and Koen Davidse, are just some of the representatives of the two international institutions coming to Skopje.
The participation of senior representatives of the monetary and fiscal policy institutions from all the member states of the Constituency, including ten governors of central banks and four finance ministers, has already been confirmed. Distinguished Professor Luigi Zingales from the University of Chicago will be as the main speaker and participant in one of the panel discussions at the conference part of the meeting in Skopje, who internationally is considered one of the most eminent professional processors, analyzers and evaluators of capitalism.
During the Constituent Meeting, our country will be the center of expert discussions on key economic topics. Governor Angelovska Bezhoska and Minister Tevdovski will be among the speakers at the panel discussions. In addition to the discussions that will be held jointly among all the participants of the event, during the meeting in Skopje, several bilateral meetings and talks between the IMF and the WB representatives and the Dutch-Belgian Constituency member states will also take place.
In addition to Holland and Belgium, the Dutch-Belgian Constituency also includes Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Georgia, Israel, Luxembourg, Moldova, Romania, Ukraine, Croatia and Montenegro.