CHAMBERS ORGANIZATIONS IN N. MACEDONIA
Chambers, as representatives and advocates of the interests of the economy, are a characteristic of all social, economic and political systems. As in the case of many other institutions and associations, differences and variations in chamber organization are the result of relations in production within the specific social system. But, they have always been and are an important economic factor, according to many analysts they come immediately after the most representative political institutions – the parliament and the government. Therefore, nearly a century ago, one of the Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom said:”It is better to have a Chamber as a partner in the conception of laws rather then having it as an opponent at the implementation stage”.
The beginnings of the chambers organization on the territory of Macedonia dates from July 14th,1922 when the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, with a seat in Skopje, was established by law, as professional organization - representative body protecting the professional and economic interests of its members.
The Companies Law of 1931 transformed the chambers into advisory and auxiliary bodies of state authorities, which simultaneously took over certain public juridical functions (issue of permits, certificates, authorizations, court arbitration, appointment of court experts, etc.).
This legislation made the Chamber subordinate to interests of the state and contributed to chamber organization losing its independence.
With the Charter of the Presidium of ASNOM (Anti-Fascist Assembly of the National Liberation of Macedonia), dated February 18th,1945 a single Chamber of Commerce and Industry was established, with a jurisdiction over the territory of Macedonia, then a federal unit.
One of the initiators for the establishing of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Macedonia was the President of the Presidium of ASNOM Metodija Andonov –Cento, long year’s member of the Managing Board of the prewar Chamber.
This was a period when the economy of the Republic of Macedonia and the chamber organization started developing more rapidly. This was the most significant and most difficult period of economic and chamber activity; it included reconstruction of destroyed industrial facilities, organization of industrial production and implementation of agricultural policy.
Before 1962, when the single Economic Chamber of Macedonia was established by law, there had been several active branch-organized chambers, making a significant contribution to the affirmation of chamber organization in the Republic of Macedonia.
Since its establishing, the Chamber is following the education system development and strives to follow the needs of the economy. When the state hasn’t got the opportunity to satisfy the needs of the economy for organizing of vocational training of employees, the Chamber with resources from interested enterprises and in association with the education authorities founded new education institutions.
The Chamber, as a form of organization of the economy of the Republic of Macedonia, by its activity and performing of its functions, has contributed immensely to the development of the Macedonian economy, mostly for vocational training of employees, the improvement of production quality and the development and affirmation of the country’s economic potentials through advertising, promotion and representing individual specialized organizations founded by the Economic Chamber.
Particularly, significant role the Chamber has in the period of transition, when our country became independent, in organizing activities aimed at speeding up of the economic system’s reforms and building up of relevant institutions, as well as ownership and structural transformation aimed to increase the efficiency of the economy and to deal successfully with competition.
In the scope of it are included organized activities for the promotion of the foreign economic relations, vocational training for employees in the economy, production quality promotion, technical and technological development by establishing links with foreign partners and exchanging information.
Since December 2004 with the Law on the Economic Chamber of Macedonia, the Chamber is a business and professional association which reconciles, represents and protects the interests of its members.
In the Chamber on voluntary bases are associated legal entities seated in the Republic of Macedonia who perform economic activities and are registered in the Trade Register. Within the Chamber can be also associated other entities which with their activity contribute for the upgrading of the economy’s operation.
The Economic Chamber of Macedonia since 1970 started with the granting of First May Award. In 1994 the award is renamed as Award of the Economic Chamber of Macedonia granted on the occasion of the Chamber’s Day -18th February.
The Chamber is a member of the International Chamber of Commerce with a seat in Paris, the Eurochambres seated in Brussels, the Association of the Balkan Chambers and accomplishes cooperation or is a member of large number of other regional and international economic associations.
Economic Chamber of Macedonia issues various documents for the needs of all the companies in the country (certificate of origin, ATA Carnets, recommendations, opinions) and confirms facts and documents aiming to facilitate the movement of goods, services and business people.
The Chamber is initiator, respectively organizer of great number of specialized exhibitions and participation of Macedonian economy on fairs, exhibitions, individual presentations and presentations on international tourism fairs and exchanges abroad.
The Economic Chamber of Macedonia is a social partner for many issues of interest for its members (labour legislation, foreign trade exchange, taxation and customs system, financial system, vocational training, etc.).
The Economic Chamber of Macedonia pays special attention to the production quality improvement and in the scope of it for the implementation of the quality standards from ISO 9000 serial, environmental protection standards ISO 14000, food products quality standards HACCP and others, as necessary prerequisite for enabling the Macedonian products competitiveness on world markets.
Within the Economic Chamber of Macedonia, as independent form of organization, since 1994 functions the Macedonian Article Numbering Association –GS1 Macedonia that works on implementation, application and development of the GS1 international system and of international multi-sector standards, principles, rules which are significant factors in electronic operation and automatic identification in various sectors, fields and branches, especially in production and trade, aimed at more efficient operation and increasing of export.
GS1 Macedonia is a member and official representative of Republic of Macedonia in the International GS1 Association, with a seat in Brussels, solely authorized to mange the GS1 system in our country and to allocate identification numbers for bar coding of products and services.
The Economic Chamber of Macedonia is a referent institution of the business in our country with around 15.000 members on voluntary bases out of which most are small and medium enterprises. Members of the Economic Chamber of Macedonia have dominant participation in establishing of all the macroeconomic indicators on state’s level (GDP, foreign trade exchange, employment, settlement of obligations towards the state, etc.).
