Albanians the poorest in North Macedonia, they pay taxes and receive almost nothing

 

 Macedonia continues to face a lack of social and economic cohesion as well as emerging disparities between Albanian and Macedonian populated areas. Albanians are the poorest. In the west of North Macedonia and the Polog region, the GDP per capita is only 117,284 denars, while in the other Macedonian regions it is twice or three times higher.

The Republic of North Macedonia is divided into a total of 8 regions comprising a large number of municipalities inhabited by citizens of different national and religious backgrounds.

As a consequence of discriminatory and ethnocentric policies since the 1990s, there is still a profound disparity between these regions, with major gaps in development.

Emerging differences are clearly evident, starting with cities like Kumanovo and Likova (Northeast Region), Struga, Dibra and Kicevo (Southwest Region) and the Albanian-majority Polog Region.

Also, the Skopje region, where the Macedonians live, is the richest and prosperous area, while the Albanian part is completely ghettoized.

The Organization for Regional Cooperation and European Integration (ORCEI) estimates that the Government of Macedonia, where Albanian parties are also involved, has not done enough to revitalize the country's poor areas and regions.

According to this organization, even the Albanian parties as part of the co-governments so far have not had and do not have a strategic plan for the development of these areas.

ORCEI emphasizes that Albanian parties in their platforms should also incorporate the European model of regional policies for equal development.

"Platforms for Equal Development should be based on the European model of regional policies and structural funds and aim to create state funds to promote economic and social cohesion without reducing the inequalities between Albanian and Macedonian settlements. The fund will be created by Albanian taxpayers, ie 25 percent of North Macedonia's budget to be fully dedicated to meeting the goals of economic and social cohesion.

This is not just about transferring this money to the poorest regions, but the money is being given to programs or projects that help economic development, create new jobs, improve transport links to remote areas, affect the growth of small and medium-sized enterprises in disadvantaged areas by investing in a cleaner environment and improving education.

All this new regional policy must be implemented between three funds: the Regional Development and Cohesion Fund, the Social Fund and the Agricultural Guarantee Fund”, ORCEI estimates.