At the beginning of 2024, Transparency International-Macedonia published the report: “National Integrity System of North Macedonia”, which contains an analysis of the situation with the pillars of the state’s integrity in relation to corruption and the effectiveness of national efforts to deal with corruption.
The report was prepared during 2022 and 2023 within the project “EU4 Rule of Law: Citizen Engagement for Public Integrity (CEPI) in the Western Balkans and Turkey”, which is funded by the European Union and the Government of Switzerland.
Within this report, an analysis was conducted and an assessment for 15 pillars which are part of the country’s state system was prepared. The assessment is conducted according to a methodology prepared by Transparency International.
The business sector is one of the pillars with the lowest score and limited role in the fight against corruption.
Pillar Recommendations
- The chambers of commerce (all existing chambers) should insist on dialogue with the government in the area of transparency and anti-corruption activities, and the government should put this dialogue on its agenda.
- The parliament needs to adopt the draft legislation on accounting in consultation with the relevant chamber of commerce and association of accountants and establish a national certification system for internal auditors.
- The government should introduce a legal requirement for anyone bidding on public contracts to have a chief compliance officer or ethics programme (for example, anti-corruption agreements, business principles).
- The government should introduce a public state aid register on the internet to transparently show which businesses received how much state aid, when and for what.
- The business sector should establish cooperation with the State Commission for the Prevention of Corruption, via the chambers of commerce, to increase transparency, prevent of corruption and encourage the business sector to report the involvement of officials in cases of corruption, through organising annual meetings.
- The government should accelerate legislation that will create more favourable business environments, especially by eliminating overlaps of the competencies between institutions and having long and complex procedures. Such legislation or amendments to existing laws should include:
– bankruptcy law
– law on administrative procedures
– law on audit;
– adoption of official consolidated versions of the laws that have often been amended, or the adoption the new laws.
- The government and the business sector should promote campaigns to show the importance of adopting anti-corruption codes of conduct in companies.
National Integrity System Assessment 2023
