The economic #benefits from the EU accession are most important

Our executive director Blagica Petreski participated in the forum “We are Europe”, organized by the Secretariat for European Affairs.

The economic #benefits from the EU accession process are the most significant

📌 Every government looks at the #shortterm. With the change of government, new policies, but always only until the next elections. The approach will support a long-term goal and #vision

📌 Populism undermines structural #reforms. Accession will ensure consistent implementation of reforms in the three pillars: education, health and social protection and institutions, will strengthen competitiveness and bring a better standard of living

📌 We spend a lot #unproductively. Access to more and more diverse funds on the road to the EU will ensure both a larger budget and more productive spending

First debate club on the multidimensional child poverty

Today we held the first debate club to identify policy overlaps, gaps, priorities and common goals related to multidimensional child poverty.

The club was attended by representatives from the sectors of social protection, education and health, and from the State Statistics Office

Ministry of Labor and Social Policy
Ministry of Education and Science
Ministry of Health

We conducted the club as part of the partnership action with UNICEF MK.

A gallery from the event can be seen here.

Pension growth more than adjustment can increase the retirement limit

In an interview with Lokalno, Blagica Beba Petreski talks about current economic topics.

⚠ The second reason for this surge of requests for higher incomes is of course the decision of the #Constitutional Court – and the subsequent #silence on the part of the Government – which unfroze the salary increases of elected and appointed persons, which led to their cumulative growth of 78%. At the moment, I am not going into whether a certain level of salary is appropriate to the difficulty of the work and #responsibilities of a minister, but for such a sudden jump in salaries, it was simply neither the time nor the place. As Finance Think, as well as other reasonable voices in society, we called on the Government to find an #urgent and immediate mechanism to restore the original situation and to open a #dialogue within which an acceptable solution will be reached for a reasonable increase in the salaries of officials.

More: https://lokalno.mk/petreski-rast-na-penzii-koj-izleguva-nadvor-od-zakonskoto-usoglasuvanje-na-dolg-rok-mozhe-da-ja-zgolemi-granicata-za-penzioniranje/

#Foresight workshop in Berlin

Our Blagica Petreski participated in a forecasting workshop, “The Future of the Western Balkans in 2043”, in Berlin, Germany, July 5-6, 2023, organized by the Aspen Institute Germany.

Stepping back from short-term thinking and daily headlines, the workshop aimed to develop strategic approaches with a long-term focus on peace, prosperity and integration in the #EU.

Our Blagica Petreski became a Research Fellow of PEP

Our CEO Blagica Beba Petreski has been selected as a Research Fellow at PEP – Partnership for Economic Policy based in Quebec, Canada and Nairobi, Kenya, among 28 selected candidates from developing countries around the world.

Research Fellows contribute to PEP activities through #scientific mentoring, training, research, economic policy events, international conferences, publications and consultancy.

Finance Think has been a PEP grantee on two occasions in the last decade. The selection of Blagica, in a highly competitive process, is the result of long-term fruitful cooperation and #internationalization of our work.