Minister Mile Janakieski

Massive Infrastructure Improvements in Progress

Macedonia’s Ministry of Transport and Communications is bringing the country’s infrastructure up to world-class standards. Serving as a regulator for Macedonia’s infrastructure- related activities, the Ministry handles licensing of infrastructure companies and has invested in new software to digitalise and speed up the licensing process. “We are investing in our efficiency,” explains Mile Janakieski, Minister of Transport and Communications.

Mile Janakieski, Minister of Transport and Communications

As a regulator, the goal of the Ministry of Transport and Communications is to “harmonise Macedonia’s infrastructure,” Mile Janakieski says. Recent accomplishments include launching the tender and licensing procedure for 4G telecom services, which are expected to be up and running by 2015. “Macedonia now has three mobile telecom providers, including Deutsche Telekom’s T-Mobile, and ten fixed-line operators. The 4G tender concerns a new infrastructure that provides the same service but 30 times faster,” Mile
Janakieski, Minister of Transport and Communications adds.

Other successful projects for the Ministry include completing several kilometres of Macedonia’s portion of Trans-European Transport Corridor X. Macedonia is also crossed by Transport Corridor VIII, which connects Macedonia to Italy. Mile Janakieski explains, “We need to invest €l90 million in funding from the EBRD for Corridor X, and we are in negations with the EBRD concerning the €l450 million we need for Corridor VIII.We are working with the Agency of State Roads in these projects.”

Speedier road connections to Corridors VIII and X

Macedonia has been expanding and upgrading its entire road network and had completed 350km of new regional roads by 2009. The government has now finished 104 km of a planned 250 km of new local roads. Priorities are to streamline road connections to the two Trans-European Transport Corridors and to Macedonia’s new free economic zones, which offer outstanding appeal as a base for foreign investors. The Ministry of Transport and Communications is also planning to launch major rail projects. To improve public
transport, the Ministry invested l10 million in buses acquired from Ukraine and €l40 million in 200 double decker buses from China.

Concerning air transport, Macedonia now has two new airports; TAV Airports Holding won the concession to operate Skopje Airport in a €l100 million deal. Mile Janakieski says, “Macedonia currently welcomes 700,000 travellers per year and we have the capacity to increase this to four million. In addition to investing in air passenger services, Macedonia will have a new cargo airport, built by TAV, by 2023. We want to see more destinations and more competitive prices offered by companies serving Macedonia.”

Macedonia’s infrastructure is clearly on the move.