Brave for Macedonia
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Get involved: www.grom.mk www.facebook.com/gragjanskaopcijazamakedonija twitter: @GROMakedonija
Preface Dear citizens of the Republic of Macedonia! The current condition, political and economic challenges, changes in the region, Europe and globally, that the citizens and the Republic of Macedonia are faced with, demand further organization of the available potential in the Republic of Macedonia with the aim of its long-term development, prosperity and wellbeing, based primarily on the potential of the citizens themselves. With strong confidence in the constant large and unutilized potential of our citizens and the values that they possess for the prosperity of our country, we, the citizens of the Republic of Macedonia, from various environments, different sexes, ethnicity and religious beliefs, different ages, social status, professions have formed the Citizens Option for Macedonia (GROM), as the new political party in Macedonia. The Citizens Option for Macedonia (GROM) is the new Macedonian political party, which was established in order to offer new access and new ideas for solving the social challenges and to create prosperity for the citizens of the Republic of Macedonia. We have reached a common decision to promote policies for connection of the citizens of the Republic of Macedonia in the encouragement and realization of the common interests through their wide inclusion in the future decision making of their own country. Policies that will include the citizens in the reaching, implementation and evaluation of the decisions regarding the common life and prosperity. Before you is the GROM Programme whereby we have presented what we wish to accomplish together with the citizens of the Republic of Macedonia. The programme is the result of engagement, suggestions and ideas of many of our citizens; that is why is it written in a simple and comprehensive manner with the language of the citizens. The programme is focused on what we will do different and better than the others. With this programme GROM intends to mobilize and activate as many citizens as possible in order to include them in the social, economic and political life of the Republic of Macedonia. Your sincerely, Citizens Option for Macedonia
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CONTENTS:
Citizens Option for Macedonia – GROM for the 21 century. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 Functional democratic society - Free citizens for a free society Growth with job posts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16 Decentralized Macedonia – powerful Macedonia. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 There is a life outside of Skopje! – regional and rural development. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24 Being multicultural – a Macedonian treasure. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Focusing on the human development. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28 Social cohesion and equal opportunities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Safe citizens - crime-free environment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45 Balkan crossroad. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47 Macedonia integrated in the region, Europe and at global level. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 Results according to social groups. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54
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Get involved: www.grom.mk
Citizens Option for Macedonia – GROM for the 21 century Macedonia in the 21 century The Republic of Macedonia has been enjoying its independence for three decades and is still facing social challenges in the progress, development, prosperity and wellbeing of its citizens. In these thirty years since surpassing single-mindedness, the true political pluralism and multi-polarity are still a challenge, as well as political dialogue and cooperation. The voice of the citizen must primarily be the grounds for any political action.
The citizen in the first plan
Macedonia must promote the basic individual freedoms, celebrate differences, with a fair treatment of the socially endangered and marginalized groups. The judiciary, media and the civil society are the challenge for the establishment of a consolidated and functional democracy.
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However, Macedonia is not only facing the challenge of true political pluralism. Today, Macedonia’s central topic is surpassing centralization and monopolization of power in the political, economic and regional arena. In addition to political pluralisation, the concentration of business power into few must be surpassed, so that new perspectives can be provided for many. Simultaneously, the regional differences have probably never been greater. Due to the great concentration of power in few centers, the operation of democracy and the social-market economy is a challenge.
Decentralization and demonopolization of power in political, economic and regional sense
The centralization and monopolization of power in a country such as Macedonia, with several ethnicities and religions, requires that special attention be paid to the inter-ethnic and inter-religious relations. The multi-culture, which is the basis for the Macedonian state, is still not sufficiently reflected in everyday life. Simultaneously, the multicultural society must be developed in harmony with the civil concept where the individual enjoys all rights as a citizen, and not as a member of an ethnic community. 21 Century Macedonia must surpass these challenges. 21 century Macedonia will aim to achieve the principles and values of its citizens which are defined with the Constitution of the Republic of Macedonia. The observance of the priorities for development of the Republic of Macedonia requires common vision, shared by the majority of its citizens, as well as engagement of all citizens in the achievement of the long-term objectives
The multicultural society must be developed harmoniously with the civil concept
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Citizens Option for Macedonia - GROM for the 21 century 21 century Macedonia is such a country as its citizens want it to be, and is developing and provides peaceful and prosperous life for each of its citizens, while the solutions for the same arise from the wisdom, hard work and bravery of its citizens
The Citizens Option for Macedonia (GROM) is a party of the center
21 century Macedonia is integrated in the region, Europe and in the global and economic events, it is stable and safe, with competitive economy that constantly improves the quality of life of its citizens.
Today, Macedonia needs a new political party which, which its positive and new approach, will contribute to the true political pluralisation via political tolerance, dialogue and cooperation. The Citizens Option for Macedonia (GROM) is positioned in the center of the political thoughts and practice in Macedonia, between the political conservatism, on one side, which regresses the citizen, calling them to the past as substitute for their present and future, and social-democracy, on the other side, with the alleged ability of the state to provide social equality and justice,
People are most important
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offers hope for the future, as substitute for the citizen’s present. GROM will bravely face the social challenges. GROM stands for living in the present, in Macedonia. For GROM, people are most important. GROM is a party focused on the citizen regardless of their ethnicity, religion, gender and party. There is place in GROM for all good people who wish to contribute so that Macedonia can be a better place to live. For Macedonia in which the citizens will enjoy their freedom, will have greater certainty in life and will be able to actively contribute in the community where they live.
Democratic and civil Macedonia that respects differences
The basic value-wise and philosophical direction of GROM is the development of a democratic and civil Macedonia, where there will be balance between the basic principles of freedom, equality and commonness and where no one will be threatened by poverty, violence and discrimination. We, at GROM, believe that all people in Macedonia should equally enjoy all human rights and live in peace and co-existence, mutually accepting and respecting differences. No individual should be subjected to discrimination based on sex, ethnicity or religion, disability, age and sexual orientation. We are aware that the struggle for freedom and justice never ends, thus GROM will relentlessly defend all democratic rights and freedoms and will maximally protect each citizen who will be the target on any ground for any type of molestation, discrimination or political pressure. GROM stands for balance between the individual freedoms and social justice, it stands for social-market economy. For GROM, the citizen’s wellbeing is in harmony with the citizen’s freedom. GROM stands for strong middle class in Macedonia, which is in-between the interests of the capital and the collective labor rights. GROM will support the middle class in Macedonia, not by fighting for its
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exclusivity, but for its inclusivity and inclusion of more social groups and layers in the middle class, via greater valorization of the results from their work and provision of better quality of life. GROM stands for a country where all citizens have jobs, not just the government. The success of the political engagement is confirmed by the influence that it has over the citizens’ life and it must be measured according to the possibilities to express the creative potential and achievements of the citizens, and not only according to the size of the government’s work. GROM’s policies are focused on the influence that they have over the life of the citizens. GROM will work towards decentralized Macedonia, because we believe that decentralized Macedonia is powerful Macedonia. GROM will work towards decentralized Macedonia where resources are distributed equally and where the power will be de-concentrated and equally distributed to as many citizens as possible. We believe that the people should be more included in the operation of their communities, thus we consider that further government decentralization is necessary for better resolution of everyday challenges that each citizen faces. In addition to the need for increased power of the local self-government units, measures for de-concentration of power and capital from the center (Skopje) towards the periphery are also necessary. Thus, we believe that giving special attention to specific development polices for regional and rural development will contribute to the decrease of poverty and social differences by opening new job posts and encou aging entrepreneurship. As a party for which the citizen is the center, GROM will encourage active citizens and further inclusion of the citizens in the decision making process, their implementation and assessment For the citizen to be able to respond to new challenges, the human development must be the main focus. GROM stands for investing in the citizens and their health, education, science, culture, sport and the environment.
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Country in which all citizens have jobs, and not just the government
GROM stands for common action of the citizens from different nationalities, religions and other distinctions. GROM is the first party in Macedonia based on the principle “party for all ethnic, religious and other groups�. We strongly believe in multiethnic Macedonia united around civil values and principles and this orientation will be reflected in all management bodies where members of the numerous different ethnic communities will be represented.
Decentralized Macedonia is powerful Macedonia
GROM stands for integration of Macedonia in the region, Europe and globally. GROM will build equal cooperation with all in the region. GROM will provide more results with less money for state, and more money for the citizens and enterprises.
The Citizens Option for Macedonia – GROM is ready to undertake responsibility for running and implementation of these policies in the Republic of Macedonia.
Active citizens in decision making and implementation of the same
Focus of the development of the people
Party for all ethnic, religious and other groups
More money for the citizens and businesses
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The values of GROM The success of a political party depends on the choice of values that it possesses and follows, and the degree to which those values are shared with the citizens of the Republic of Macedonia.
FREE LIFE IN THE PRESENT The free citizen is our most important value. GROM is returning the present in the political life in the Republic of Macedonia, investing in its own citizens so that they can use the freedom to create their own future here and now, in the Republic of Macedonia. GROM as a party of the center will stand for realization of all individual and collective civil freedoms and respect of human rights.
ACTIVE AND INCLUDED CITIZENS
GROM believes in life in the present of the citizens of the Republic of Macedonia, the only time in which one can live and change the future. GROM believes that the source of happiness is the power to change reality. GROM is starting a process to encourage the citizens to be able to see their power to change, and not to adapt to the current Macedonian reality. This power is part of each citizen of the Republic of Macedonia and GROM will encourage and direct it for the general good of all citizens.
The values of GROM are the following: Free life in the present; Active and included citizens; Commonality; Responsibility and accountability Multi-culturalisam and inter-clulturalism; Entrepreneurship; Equal possibilities; Personal development; Sustainability
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GROM believes in the freedom of the individual in the present, which enables him to face the limitations of today, and surpass the same with personal engagement in order to realize his personal and the objectives of the community that he belongs to. The concept of activation of the citizens is recognition of their personal power to face all difficulties and using the freedom to choose, to actively work and contribute to the development of our country Republic of Macedonia. We consider that only free citizens can actively participate in the public life and the active civil society is of great importance in facing everyday challenges before the citizen and the community. The state does not always have the best solution, that is why it is the task and responsibility of the citizen to actively participate in the public space and to create their own reality, as well as future for the following generations. GROM stands for the voice of the citizens to be first since it is most important, and for them to not only be followers of an idea.
COMMONALITY
GROM will further develop the general and permanent civil consensus on the future. For GROM, building commonality is a need of all citizens, which is developed through understanding, friendly coexistence and cooperation with the aim of good and decent life. GROM focuses on giving and not taking. The happy life of the individual depends on the possibility for them to provide and exchange values with other people, to be able to help and to participate in the realization of the goals of their fellow citizens and their country. The life of each citizen depends on their ability to create, make and exchange with the others. GROM respects the values that one person follows and which are their personal choice regarding what they wish to achieve in life by cooperation with people from their environment for the realization of common goals. The individuals with similar choice of values are united to cherish, develop and apply the same values as the strongest basis for their survival and prosperity. In that manner, that group of people shares the same idea, works together on the wellbeing of their close ones and try or not to uphold the golden rule of sublime justice: do onto others as you would have them do to you.
RESPONSIBILITY AND ACCOUNTABILITY
For GROM, the political government is a tool for realization of the individual and collective interests of the citizens of the Republic of Macedonia. The political government has three basic functions: ethical – to reach reasonable decisions and laws that will provide long-term survival and development of the citizens; collection of contributions
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for the realization of common interests of the citizens of the Republic of Macedonia, and distribution and redistribution of the funds for covering costs for security, survival and quality of life of the citizens of the Republic of Macedonia. For GROM, the government does not create values, but the citizens of the Republic of Macedonia do. The political government is responsible for their proper allocation and it is responsible for the same. For GROM the division of the government into: legislative, executive and judicial is the first condition for successful realization of the democracy and for the wide observance of the human rights and freedoms of the citizens. The second condition is decision making at the closest possible level to the citizens. For the same, additional decentralization and strengthening of the local self-government is necessary. The expectations that only the state is responsible for the social challenges are contrary to the values of entrepreneurship and active and included citizens. GROM stands for sharing the responsibilities between the country, the private sector and the citizens. Partner relations based on trust and common interest must be established. GROM will support pluralisation of public service providers in all fields, as well as increase of the responsibility of the citizens in their own lives.
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The Macedonian citizens create values
Sharing responsibilities between the state, the private sector and the citizens
MULTICULTURALISM AND INTER-CULTURALISM
For GROM, commonality is possible only if each individual and group is prepared to tolerate the differences in others. The cultural diversity in the Republic of Macedonia, in ethnic, national, religious, social, age and gender sense must stop being its disadvantage and it should finally become its advantage. GROM supports and encourages multiculturalism, as diversity of individuals and groups in the development of their potential to create and invent the mutual common life.
living in different cultural groups with each other
GROM will stress and develop inter-culturalism as a value in the modern democracies and a new policy, which primarily has an active component and which presumes communication with the various cultural groups. Multiculturalism is a reality, but also a passive principle which means interaction with various cultural groups. Inter-culturalism means life of different cultural groups not one next to another, but one with another; dialogue as the basis for interaction and communication inter- religiously, - culturally and - ethnically with the other; it poses the values: respect, cooperation, tolerance, honesty, patience, sincerity, openness, as grounds for any activity of the various cultural groups; intercultural education – step towards becoming closer and understanding the differences; developing social milieu that will dominate the human impulse and learning the differences and stressing value ideals, moral codes and norms through which others will ethnically, culturally and religiously develop in a proper and desired manner and will become part of the environment.
ENTREPRENEURSHIP
GROM believes in active people, which means people with entrepreneurship spirit, decisive and active, who take initiative in order to realize the ideas and to achieve own success and success for the community. The individuals who are self-motivates, exceptionally dedicated and oriented towards higher achievements should be recognized.
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GROM stands for respecting the market laws and its role in the creation, exchange and allocation of values and resources. The role of the state is to be a regulator and controller of the successful operation on the market and to create equal opportunities for fair competition. GROM is against taking the risk from the state interventions to the companies and citizens.
EQUAL POSSIBILITIES
GROM believes in equal possibilities for all people. No individual must be subjected to discrimination based on sex, ethnicity or religion, disability, age and sexual orientation. GROM stands for providing equal possibilities for life in prosperity, believes in solidarity and in affirmative measures. GROM stands for solidarity towards all socially vulnerable groups. Simultaneously, for all vulnerable groups able to work there must be affirmative measures for their integration in all aspects of the society. PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT For GROM, each individual deserves personal development that will enable them to have spiritual peace, wellbeing and understanding with others, as well as spiritual development that will enable them to have decent lives and conditions. For GROM, freedom is a synonym to the ability of the citizen to imagine and create their own future in their country. GROM stands for citizens of the 21 century. Preparing the citizen for the 21 century is related to the skills to use science, IT, foreign languages, entrepreneurship and financial literacy. GROM stands for these skills to become available for the citizens of the Republic of Macedonia, whereby they will be able to create values and exchange the same for the realization of a happy life.
SUSTAINABILITY
GROM stands for responsible utilization of the resources of the Republic of Macedonia. The resources are limited and small and someone is always struggling to own or govern the same. Their utilization must be public and the benefits for the country and the citizens must be presented. GROM stands for greater inclusion of the citizens of the Republic of Macedonia in the utilization of common resources. GROM stands for informing the public on the incomes from the utilization of natural (metal, nonmetal, minerals, space) and acquired resources (state property, shares and bonds). The national resources must bring benefits for all citizens. The rational and effective utilization of natural resources and keeping track of their renewal must be the grounds for the country’s economic development. GROM will provide the same by undertaking specific measures in the economic, political and social life in the country.
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21 century GROM vision GROM’s vision is spreading freedom, dignity and wellbeing for each citizen in a civil state, which includes them in the decision making on important issues for their lives and which provides equal opportunities, possibilities, freedom and development of the different cultural identities, in the Republic of Macedonia, integrated in the regional, European and global international relations. GROM’s mission is a “party of the citizen, which vigorously and responsibly develops the inherent freedoms and rights, providing space for unobstructed realization of their creativity and personal capacities for realization of the vision for the Republic of Macedonia in the 21 century”. The long-term priorities of GROM are the following: Functional democratic society – free citizens for a free society; Increase of job posts; Decentralized Macedonia – powerful Macedonia; There is life outside of Skopje – regional and rural development; Multiculture – Macedonian treasure; Focus on human development; Social cohesion and equal opportunities; Safe citizens – environment without crime; Balkan crossways; Macedonia integrated in the region, Europe and globally
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Vision: spreading freedom, dignity and wellbeing of each citizen in a civil state, which includes them in the decision making on important issues for their lives and which provides equal opportunities, possibilities, freedom and development of the different cultural identities Mission: GROM is a “party of the citizen, which vigorously and responsibly develops the inherent freedoms and rights, providing space for unobstructed realization of their creativity and personal capacities for realization of the vision for the Republic of Macedonia in the 21 century
Get involved: www.grom.mk
Functional democratic society
- Free citizens for a free society
Macedonia must make efforts towards development of a functional democratic society from semi-consolidated democracies to move towards consolidated democracies, from semi-free towards free. Brave steps are necessary in order to achieve progress in all areas: from civil and political freedoms, public order and peace, independent media, electoral process, good governance, rule of law and prevention of corruption. Strengthening local self-government is of central significance for GROM and is presented in a separate objective.
Free citizens for a free society Macedonia has a legal framework and the future challenge is the creation of a favorable environment for the realization of the civil and political rights, including the freedoms of expression, gathering and joining thoughts, conscience and religion. The creation of a favorable environment is an obligation of the political leadership in the promotion of tolerance and dialogue. Labeling, hate speech, as well as crime based on hate which createŃ atmosphere of fear and self-censorship must be disencouraged. GROM will encourage culture and institutions for dialogue on all levels and in all areas.
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For GROM, the civil society is a partner, and not a rival or an enemy. GROM will foster a culture where there will also be space for the critically oriented civil organizations, trade unions, chambers. A favorable environment for the civil society must be developed with the application of strategies for cooperation with the civil sector on national and local level. The civil society needs support for financial sustainability in the medium-term with direct financial support from the national and local budgets, and in the long-term with indirect, tax measures for encouragement of financial support from the citizens and enterprises.
Favorable environment for the civil and political rights
After the realization of religious freedom, the next step will be further creation of a favorable environment that will reflect the multi-religious nature of the society. GROM will build relations with all churches and religious communities on the principle of equality. GROM will see the needs of the churches and religious communities in the prevention of religious extremism, which occurs as reflection of global influences. A free society requires free media. GROM will always stand on the side of professional, independent and investigative journalism as the basic condition for responsible government.
Favorable conditions must be created for free media, though avoidance of political comments on the journalist work, revocation of litigations for slander, as well as creation of conditions for fair and loyal competition. The media ownership must be transparent and all non-legitimate party-media relations must be stopped.
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Free media for a free society
The free citizens must have full freedom to express their political will in completely fair and democratic election. GROM will honestly support all measures that are necessary for further improvement of the electoral process. In addition to the continual improvement of the Electoral Code, much more important is the creation of a multiparty electoral ethics and culture. GROM will lead positive electoral campaigns, in which the other parties are competitors and not enemies; it will offer solutions and be ready to present their solutions in dialogues and debates with the other political parties.
GROM for electoral ethics and culture, positive electoral campaigns, with solutions and dialogue and debates
Powerful assembly - House of the political dialogue The division of power, as grounds for responsible government, must be based on a powerful Assembly. For the further development of the role of the Assembly the position of the members of parliament must be strengthened, there must be responsibility towards the citizens instead towards the leaders and demonstration of the control role of the Assembly. The position of the members of parliament will be strengthened with further improvement of their operation, as well as increase of the public involvement. For the improvement of the operation,
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For a powerful Assembly: strong position of the members of parliament and responsibility towards the citizens
the development of the Parliamentary Institute will be supported. GROM will promote active participation of the public, both civil and professional, with public involvement in the operation of all assembly commissions, such as the ordinary organization of the public presentations and discussions. For the purposes of strengthening the responsibility of members of parliament towards the citizens, GROM will promote a reform of the Electoral Code, where the citizens will have greater influence over the choice of their members of parliament. GROM will propose an Ethical Code for the members of parliament. The Assembly must demonstrate its control role, with regular control discussions, and especially adequate supervision over the monitoring of communications and over the intelligence services. GROM’s members of parliament at the Assembly will foster a culture of political dialogue.
Rule of law - No one is above the law! The rule of law is a basic value; the passing of laws is important but not sufficient, much more important is their equal and nonselective application on the entire territory and all citizens. GROM will vigorously struggle for equality and non-selectiveness in the application of laws. Protection of the citizens’ rights is also necessary to increase the trust that the citizens have in the legal system. The citizens must feel safe and certain in the correctness of the decisions made by the management bodies, and especially in the decisions of the courts.
Equal and nonselective application of the laws in all areas and for all citizens
In order to facilitate the access to justice for all citizens, the system for free legal help must be strengthened.
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However, for the citizens to increase their confidence in the legal system, the political parties and leaders must stop using the courts and court decisions as a terrain for inter-party competition for which GROM will serve as an example. GROM will defend and guarantee the right to ownership as a fundamental value and as a key factor for security of investments and running businesses. GROM will defend the principle for presumption of innocence, and the measure of jail must not be used as replacement for prison sentence. Thus amendments to the law will reduce the possibility for jail measurement when it is not absolutely necessary. GROM will promote professionalism, expertise, and conscientiousness in the performance of functions, which will be the basic criterion for performance of legal functions (judge, prosecutor). GROM will stand for further strengthening of the role and capacity of the Academy of Judges and Public Prosecutors, as well as for increase of the financial support of the students at the Academy. For the professional performance of the functions there must be improved financial position of the legal system, improvement of the working conditions, standardization and unification of procedures, as well as promotion of the information and communication technologies in the legal system for transparent monitoring of the operation. GROM stands for promotion of the process for execution of sanctions, professionally organized and managed penalty-correction and education-correction facilities, improvement of the space capacities and the condition in the penalty-correction facilities and provision of appropriate medical care of all sentenced and arrested persons, with no exception. The improvement of the prison system in order to surpass its overpopulation and inhuman conditions with construction of new prisons is not sufficient, alternative forms of punishment must also be promoted. Special attention is necessary for the prevention of crime through strengthening of the safety in neighborhoods, as well as post-prison integration of sentenced persons in order to reduce the rate of return to crime.
European standard for citizen services For GROM, efficient, inclusive and accountable institutions that equally provide quality services for all citizens are the road towards European standard of services.
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GROM aims to achieve European standard of services for the citizens, which must start from the formulations and implementation of public policies, through the organization of government and efficiency and effectiveness of the administration. GROM’s priority will be demanding responsibility from the institutions that will have high authority and will operate in the function of the citizens. European standards for the services can be achieved only by participation and partnership with the citizens in the creation of pubic policies, in the supervision of their implementation and in their assessment. Informed and involved citizens are the basis of good policies and their implementation. GROM will stand for establishment of a culture of public dialogue and participation of the public, civil and expert, in all levels (national, regional, local) and in all areas.
Quality services with citizens’ participation
GROM will open a debate on the efficiency and effectiveness of the government organization, on the possibilities for integration of institutions with overlapping competencies, guided by the principle for fewer and more efficient institutions instead of more numerous and weaker institutions. Initial step of each reform of the public administration for improvement of efficiency and effectiveness must be to determine the number of administration workers. GROM will insist on full transparency of this issue. This will require immediate completion of the administration employee database. Without analysis of the present condition, a strategy for administration reforms cannot be made. GROM stands for smaller, more effective and better paid administration. All programs of political parties speak of independent, professional and responsible administration. GROM will put the same into practice. A professional and responsible administration is necessary so that a merit system can be established. The administration awareness as a citizens’ service must be strengthened, as well as the assessment system, including citizen assessment and management with the complaint and appeal system. Politics signifies responsibility. The government is for the citizen, and not vice versa, thus every government must be responsible and accountable before the citizens. GROM will provide maximal
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maximal transparency in its operation. We consider that the difference between successful and unsuccessful countries primarily is based on the ability of the social stakeholders to construct a good management system, without corruption and misuse of public resources. Thus, we will employ all our human and moral capacities to manage with the county’s resources and institutions in a responsible, transparent and honest manner. GROM will setup a system based on these principles and will be a transparent and responsible party. GROM will stand for faster and simpler access for the citizens in the realization of the rights from the personal identification records, with promotion of the legal framework in the field of personal identification records and establishment of efficient and modern system of running personal identification records.
Prevention of corruption GROM will clearly and unambiguously fight for prevention of corruption which in the Republic of Macedonia is a social problem which causes great concern with the citizens and it presents an obstacle in the social and economic development of the country. We will preventively act towards raising public awareness on the significance of prevention of corruption and the positive effects from its eradication. GROM will fight for prevention of corruption with the establishment of a system based on detailed and systematic corruption analyses in all social fields, and removal of administrative procedures or barriers that create conditions for corruption
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Corruption will be eradicated with the removal of administrative barriers, strengthening mechanisms on budget accountability and public procurement, political readiness and regulation of the financing of parties.
Anticorruption activities will be directed towards the national and local budgets, as well as the public procurement system. Responsible creation and implementation of the national and local budgets is necessary, as well as strengthening of the accountability mechanism when spending public finance. The public procurement system must be evaluated due to the complaints for favoring low quality, and it simultaneously does not provide the effects in the prevention of corruption in public procurements. The role of the Corruption Prevention Commission must be strengthened via clear and high criteria for election of commission members. GROM will demonstrate clear political will to detect, prosecute and sanction corruption in the highest government levels. Certainly, corruption prevention is not possible only with sanctions, without removing the motivation for corruption in the administration and politics. The competency system must be strengthened in the administration as well as the salaries must be increased. In politics, the financing of the political parties must be regulated. In conditions of expensive TV campaigns, the financial needs of the parties significantly increase, which cannot be met in a legitimate manner i.e. from the sponsors – citizens and enterprises. GROM stands for limitation of campaigns and in the medium-term for increase of the financing of the political parties from the state in order to eradicate the dependence on “black� funds.
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Get involved: www.grom.mk
Growth with job posts For GROM it is extremely important that the paradigm “growth without job posts” be changed into “growth with job posts” because it is not enough for Macedonia to have growth in the gross-domestic product (GDP), but it also needs to solve the long-term social challenges which are unemployment and the poverty related to the same. The medium-term challenge for GROM is growth that will lead to increase of GDP to 7.500$ per capita, with reduction of unemployment to 18 percent and increase of employment to 54 percent. GROM will achieve the same with the creation of a functional market economy, including a functional labor market, encouragement of investments, competitiveness, innovation and entrepreneurship, employment, as well as stable macroeconomic politics. Certain measured are foreseen for sectors of especial significance for Macedonia. In order for those objectives to be met, the present paradigm must be added regarding investments where the focus is on foreign direct investments, concessions and capital investments in transport and energy.
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Growth with job posts: GDP of 7.500 USD/capita; 18% unemployment; Increase of employment to 54%
After the prolonged economic crisis in the past several years, despite the focus on foreign direct investments and concessions, and in order to achieve the expected objectives and results, Macedonia must focus its attention also on domestic investors, as well as public investments, financed by loans, for the development primarily of eneregetics, and more limited in transport. The future indebtedness of the country must be exclusively for projects with proven economic significance.
Functional market economy GROM will achieve functional market economy and favorable environment for enterprises with a favorable and regulatory framework, with the rule of law, with fair competition, improved access to financial services and with partnership and economic and social dialogue. Certainly the stability of the macroeconomic policy as well as other measures such as innovation and entrepreneurship allocated to other sections are also important. GROM will include the employers and trade unions in a consultative process on all relevant laws and regulations, in order to provide protection of the interested parties’ interests. GROM will insist on stability of the legal framework and regulation, and the changes will be made in a period sufficient for the companies to adjust.
GROM for: favorable legal and regulatory framework, fair competition, access to financial services, and partnership and economic and social dialogue
GROM will stand for a legal framework and regulation that will reduce operation costs. The legal framework and regulation must be appropriate to the enterprise size and be adjusted to small and medium enterprises (SME). Accordingly, GROM will demand adjustment of the penal policy, especially regarding SME, as well as general reduction of part of the penalties and penalizing according the principle lesson than penalty, i.e. only after a warning for the need of adjustment in relation to the law or in case of repetition of the violation. GROM will inspire dialogue on the appropriateness of the tax policies and contributions.
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The rule of law must be provided in all places and for everyone – for all sectors, for all enterprises, for all areas. GROM will stand for establishment of fair competition. GROM will reach measures for improvement of the access to financial services, increase of the private business crediting, especially for SME, as well as encouragement of new financial instruments via support for development of new financial products. For GROM the employer organizations, trade unions and chambers are partners in the building of a functional market economy. GROM will stand for strengthening the economic and social dialogue, on national and local level and for strengthening the economic and social advice according to a European model. GROM will stand for transfer of authorities for certain public services to economy chambers, as well as for their stronger presence in the region, EU and globally.
Growth and investments In order for the objectives to be achieved, growth of GDP is necessary between five and six percent per year, as growth of the gross-investments of over 30 percent of GDP. Whereby, this level refers to the so called “Greenfield” and “Brownfield” investments, and not only to the sale of enterprises or shares and stocks owned by the state. The foreign investments, necessary for change of the economic structure, must achieve levels closer to the peak of 2007/2008. GROM will provide favorable environment for investments of the diaspora and the Macedonian citizens abroad, with liberalization of foreign currency operations and encouragement of investment assignments. In order to encourage investments, GROM will treat the foreign and domestic investors equally, in the conditions and supports provided from the state. This must be accompanied with a guarantee for legal security for the domestic investors and change of the culture where business is the enemy. For GROM, the private sector is a partner!
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A key step for encouragement of domestic investments and development of SME is encouragement of added domestic value. For the enterprises owned domestically or abroad and with a certain share of domestic imports, stimulation measures will be planned – direct and indirect financial support. The objective is to motivate all enterprises, owned domestically or abroad, to increase the share of domestic inputs, and thus increase the demand for domestic products and services.
The public investments in the infrastructure and education create favorable conditions for development of the private sector. They must surpass 15 percent of the budget of Macedonia, whereby at least 65 percent must be in economic infrastructure. The public projects, in energy and transport, planned to be realized with concessions and public-private partnerships, for which the procedures have been unsuccessfully repeated several times, must be reevaluated. Regarding those projects that are economically justified, some must be realized with loans, and other need better conditions for the concessioners and partners.
Equality of domestic and foreign investors. Stimulation of added domestic value. At least 65 percents of the public investments will be in the economic infrastructure
GROM will stand for higher utilization of the EU funds. Attention must be paid to the increase of the administrative and financial capacity for utilization of the EU finds, both by the state, and the private and civil sector. GROM will provide support for consulting houses that will help improve the capacity of the private sector, and will also analyze the opportunities for improvement of the financial capacity necessary for co-financing projects.
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Entrepreneurship, innovation and competition During the further EU integration, as well as the global trade integration, Macedonia must increase its economy’s competitiveness. Macedonia must aim for the European objective to allocate two percent of GDP for research and development. GROM will provide state support, not through subsidies for production and export, but via financial support for development of new products and introduction of new technologies. For the technical and technology modernization, GROM will reexamine customs and taxes for import of equipment that is not produced in the country. GROM will introduce customs-free import of equipment and raw materials when the case is export arrangements for production enterprises with over 50 employees. GROM will support the energy efficiency of the companies in order to increase their competitiveness. “Green economy” will be encouraged: protection of the environment, energy efficiency, use of renewable energy sources.
GROM for: Development of new products; Introduction of new technologies; Internationalization of Macedonian companies; Support for business start-ups;
GROM will introduce measures for internationalization of Macedonian companies, as well as promotion of strategic products to foreign markets. Macedonia needs more entrepreneurship. GROM will provide measures for support of business start-ups, business development services, as well as reduction of operation costs for SME. In cooperation with the economy chambers and the civil sector, the network of “business incubators” will be expanded as well as specialized “business – incubators” for IT and new technologies. Especially, entrepreneurship of young women, the disabled and ethnic communities will be supported.
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GROM will introduce programmes for support of small and medium enterprises. Among others, in big public procurements, GROM will introduce preferential treatment of SME, especially SME established by youth, women and vulnerable groups. GROM will also introduce preferential treatment of energy efficient products. Entrepreneurship culture will be stimulated from pre-school age, and will be strengthened in elementary and secondary education. GROM will build public awareness with high work ethics and entrepreneurship, where the stereotypes “you must study so that you do not have to work”, “be paid for doing nothing”, “I cannot be paid so little as I can do little work” will be replaced with new positive models.
Employment For the purposes of “growth with job posts”, in addition to the stated investment objectives, competitiveness, innovation and entrepreneurship, implementation of active employment measures is also necessary. GROM will increase the annual coverage of the unemployed with the active measures for employment and increase of the financial support for new job posts.
GROM for honest, dignified and productive work
It will stimulate professional specialization at companies whereby programmes for participation in the costs for employee training will be created.
The employment costs will be analyzed and reexamined for stimulation of employment of workers with low qualifications. For the purposes of stimulating employment in the passive hill and mountain areas, exemption from contributions in a period of three years will be introduced. These measures can be expanded to other vulnerable groups.
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The operation of the Employment Agency must be reorganized in order to provide active mediation for employment, implementation of active measures for harmonization of the supply and demand on the labor market. We will increase the flexibility of work agreements; we will promote work with shorter hours and work from home whereby the workers will be given greater choice. This is especially important for women who due to domestic obligations and care for children and elderly and overwrought relatives, must decide on inactivity, instead of work, due to the lack of flexible work contracts.
Employment of the youth The young, as the most affected group shall have the priority in the support of the employment. The increase of the employment among the youth must start in the coordination of the education and training systems with the needs on the labor market – reform of the curriculum, introducing the career education, improvement of the services of the Employment Agency of the Republic of Macedonia, but also providing funds for private service providers for mediation and preparation for the introduction to the labor market. It is necessary to introduce Career counseling for the young people in the early phases of education. Further measures are directed towards the alleviation of the entering on the labor market. GROM has a few measures planned, which in addition to the development measures of the entrepreneurship include: training, providing services for employment on the entire territory of the country, as well as support for employment of young people (up to 30 years of age). One part of the education, secondary or higher education, shall be comprised of practical work – training of one year in the enterprises, which shall have the obligation to admit the trainees. GROM shall support the training abroad, as a necessity for internationalization of the Macedonian economy. In order to reduce the internship costs for the future medical doctors, pharmacists and dentists, GROM shall prepare programs for application of their years of service in their city, the local clinics, medical centers, infirmaries and doctor’s offices.
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For the municipalities which are not covered with the employment centers, it is necessary to create support networks from the civil sector and private providers in identifying the unemployed young people and providing employment services. The employers will be supported in the provision of work posts intended for the young people and through subsidies for their employment in a determined period.
For productive and practical studying and decent earnings
Employing the ones who have been unemployed for a long time and the elderly citizens GROM shall pay attention to the ones who have been unemployed for a long time, to people who have been unemployed for more than four years and the categories of unemployed at the age over 35. GROM shall propose programs which will include different measures of support: from retraining and further training, opening public work, encouraging entrepreneurship to financial benefits of their employment. Lifelong learning shall be supported and the acquiring of new skills and tax reliefs for the employment of the elderly shall be introduced. A strategy shall be prepared to alleviate the problems of the elderly in the firms and the transition in to retirement, and activities shall be undertaken to eliminate the age discrimination. GROM shall open opportunities for their employment, especially to the ones with work experience, in the new industries and branches which arise from the need to protect the environment, the energy efficiency and the utilization of renewable sources of energy. At the same time, GROM shall encourage the mobility in these categories of unemployed, to meet the occurred demand of workers.
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Monetary and fiscal policy GROM shall support the optimal monetary policy for stable macroeconomic surrounding with the complete observing of the independence of NBRM in the selection of the strategy for price stability and stable exchange rate. The monetary policy shall be in function of the credit policy which will provide growth of the banking credits for the private sector. GROM’s policy will be the increase of the public debt only for public investments with economic justification, for which at least 70% of the public investments shall be in the economic infrastructure.
Strategic sectors
GROM supports the determination for agriculture, the textile industry, tourism, machine (automobile) industry, the IT sector as well as the strategic sectors. For GROM the civil engineering, pharmaceutical industry and the new industries of the “green economy” are of strategic significance. Although they are not industries, from the aspect of growth and work posts with high added value, GROM will promote Macedonia as a regional healthcare and educational center. In all stated sectors GROM will encourage strategic thinking according to the “cluster” principle or the chain of value. Also, based on the principles of competitiveness, innovation and entrepreneurship, sectors with a higher added value will be supported. For all of these sectors, GROM will apply the measures of competitiveness, innovation and entrepreneurship and will develop specific measures and projects. In tourism, as the fastest growing sector and the largest demander of workers, in addition to the constant efforts, the public investments which support tourism need to be increased, in order to provide public-private partnership for specific projects, as well as to provide support in the improvement of the hotel facilities. In addition to the current funds from IPARD for development of the rural tourism (hotels and hospitality facilities) funds need to be provided for building subsidies for small family hotels or accommodation rooms, for building of hotels with national architecture. In order to improve the services, the standardization and the licensing needs to be strengthened. Special effort needs to be made for the definition of the unique national cuisine. GROM stands for a fund for the renewal of the facades, the houses and other facilities in Skopje, Bitola, Ohrid, Krushevo and Kratovo, as well as the speeding up of the revitalization of the ethno-rural communities.
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GROM will insist on equal conditions for the participation of the Macedonian building companies at the tenders for large public investments. GROM will analyze the opportunity to provide the state guarantees for the participation of the Macedonian building companies on foreign markets in case of large public projects.
Higher domestic added value
For the development of this country as a healthcare and educational regional center, GROM shall provide land free of charge, for the building of healthcare and educational facilities which shall provide services for the neighboring countries, and shall provide subsidies for their construction or superstructure. GROM shall encourage a study for the opportunities of a healthcare tourism. A better access to financial services is necessary for better business. GROM shall support measures for the crediting of the private sector; subsidizing the interests; support of the new financial products; better electronic banking and reducing the costs of financial transactions; liberalization of the foreign exchange operation; measures for cheaper international payments. The policies towards the strategic sectors shall be devised by GROM in whole, making of sector strategies and preparation of programs for support of the private sector in the creation of a new offer and application of technological improvements.
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Decentralized Macedonia – powerful Macedonia The decentralization of Macedonia is the primary column of GROM, because GROM believes that decentralized Macedonia means powerful Macedonia, and because as a party it is initiated from a local level. GROM stands for public debate for further decentralization of Macedonia, based on the successful results of the enforcement of the decentralization so far, probably one of the most successful reforms. GROM stands for the increase of the competencies of the local self-government in multiple fields, the increase of the finances of the municipalities by ten percent from the GDP, with the increase of the source income of the municipalities to half of the total income.
GROM stands for: New competencies of the local self-government; 10 percent from the GDP for the municipalities; Increase of the source income of the municipalities.
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It is necessary to complete the second phase of the fiscal decentralization quickly, which would complete one period of decentralization (2002-2013) and commence the assessment of the achievements and the public enquiry for the new period of decentralization. GROM stands for the increase of the competencies of the municipalities in the local economic development, in the urbanism and the property and legal relations, in the social matters, in the healthcare, as well as in the safety. During the conducting of projects from the national authorities, there must be coordination with the local authorities of the municipality where the project is being realized. Anywhere possible, the national authorities need to delegate the conducting of the projects of the local authorities. While standing for safe neighborhoods, GROM stands for the increase of the competencies in the safety, i.e. the police in uniforms. The model of realization of the increased competencies needs to be a subject of public enquiry and a political dialogue, and it would move from strengthened responsibilities of the police before the municipalities (the mayors) to the formation of special municipal police, with a limited jurisdiction in the prevention of crime and the securing of the public order. In order to increase the jurisdictions, it is necessary to increase the financing of the municipalities. The increase of the financing of the municipalities needs to be with the increase of the source income of the municipalities, in a manner which would increase the autonomy in terms of the national authority and at the same time would increase the responsibility of the municipalities in the performance of the incomes. An analysis is needed, and one of the models, which needs to be analyzed, is the allocation of the value added tax (VAT) to national and municipal.
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There is a life outside of Skopje! – regional and rural development The development of the Republic of Macedonia must be “de-skopjanized�, to decentralize the economic development with a focus to equal regional development and rural development.
Decreasing the gap on the well-being between Skopje and the regions Considering it in medium term, the gap of the well-being between Skopje and the regions, represented in the differences of the regional GDP, must be decreased by 25 percent. The equal regional development must contribute in the improvement of the prosperity and the well-being in the regions outside of Skopje, but not by causing a lower development and growth in Skopje, but through an accelerated development and growth of the other regions in Macedonia. The equal regional development shall be achieved with the further increase of the jurisdictions of the municipalities, the increase of the financing of the equal regional development initially to the legally determined frame of one percent from the GDP, the affirmative plan for the least developed regions, the appropriate transportation policies and the public debate for decentralization of the national and central institutions in regions outside of Skopje.
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The decentralization of the national and central institutions in regions outside of Skopje, not only should it encourage institutional support of the regions, but a strong message of the political will for the equal regional development needs to be sent. Examples of decentralization of the national and central institutions in regions outside of Skopje are the transferring of: the Macedonian Railroads from Skopje to Veles, the Ministry for the Local self-government from Skopje in Gostivar, the Regulatory Commission for Energy Technology from Skopje in Bitola etc. The decentralization decisions shall be brought through an assessment about the influence and a public enquiry.
Prosperity of the regions outside of Skopje, as well
GROM will encourage inter-municipal cooperation in order to have efficient delivery of certain services, especially in the field of communal services.
Better life in the village A strong impulse is necessary in the decreasing of the urban-rural gap in the quality of life. The urban-rural gap can only be decreased in the surrounding of the equal regional development. The necessary measures for the rural development need to be included: planning rural centers which will be the centre of providing public services; development of the agriculture, forestry and water economy, development of tourism in the country and other services. A strong impulse is needed in the decreasing of the urban-rural gap in the quality of life. The urban-rural gap can only be decreased in the surrounding of the equal regional development. The necessary measures for the rural development need to be included: planning the rural centers which will be the center for providing public services; development of agriculture, forestry and water economy, development of tourism in the country and other services.
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In addition to all the measures for the development of the agriculture and other economic branches for a better life in the village, access to high quality public services is necessary, first and foremost are the education and healthcare. An improved access means decreasing the geographic distance and improving the connections. For this, and for achieving the quality, regional centers need to be planned, outside the city and the center of the municipality, where high quality public services will be available. Development of the tourism in the country and other services is essential, in the context of the increase in productivity of the agriculture. The development of the tourism in the country shall be supported, in addition to the public services and the infrastructure and in the renewal of the authentic ambiance (the renovation of houses with authentic facades), as well as the increase of the capacity for accommodation and hospitality. The development of other services needs to be provided through subsidies, affordable tax and credit policy (subsidies of interest). GROM will work on acquiring of knowledge and skills for the preparation and realization of strategies for the local development of rural environments, the implementation of the local development strategies and the formation of the local action groups (LAG). GROM will make efforts and will be included in the support of the LEADER Measure and will make sure that it starts as soon as possible.
Developed agriculture with the increase of the newly created value and new products The development of the agriculture will be directed towards the reinforcement of agriculture, increase of the newly created (added) value and development of new products. The reinforcement of the agriculture will lead to the increase of the scope of the agricultural production. GROM clearly acts in the direction of bringing new legal regulations in the agriculture and livestock breeding (Law on agriculture and rural development, Law on Livestock Breeding, Law on Tobacco and Tobacco Products, Law on Wine, Law on Waters etc.),
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GROM stands for the reinforcing the agriculture by increasing the newly created value and the development of new products
which will essentially regulate the relations of interest and protection of the agriculturist and farmers in the sense of the customs relief and free trade exchange, cancelling the income tax from agricultural activity or its putting in to function of reinvestments, decrease of the added value tax of the agriculture products, such as wine and the legal regulation of the payment of the purchased agricultural products. GROM will conduct a devised and transparent awarding of the state agricultural land of real producers. GROM supports the building of infrastructure facilities, outside of the villages, in function of creating conditions for more efficient performance of the agricultural activity such as: building of motorways, field roads, and electrical grid to the agricultural properties.
Further building needs to be provided, as well as maintaining of the irrigation systems and melioration, by setting aside funds from the national and local budget. GROM will analyze the opportunity to transform the public enterprises which manage the hydro-melioration systems and the awarding of the hydro-systems for management of the associations of agricultural producers. GROM will cancel the compensation for irrigation and the use of the water will be free of charge, financed by the budget.
Subsidies in all fields and branches of primary agricultural producers
It is necessary to increase the support through the subsidies in all fields and branches of the primary agricultural producers and farmers. The subsidies in agriculture will have a motivational nature in the increase and standardization of the production and the processing of food. Larger subsidies for the costs of insurance of the agricultural properties and assistance in the protection of the agricultural production of various risks are needed.
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In order to provide timely preparation of the use of the EU and other funds for the rural and regional development, the capacities of the local authorities, local associations and the business-sector will be reinforced. Efficient support of the farmers in the preparation of the documents for the funds intended for the development of the agricultural sector will be provided. Consulting companies and citizens’ organizations for agribusiness will be supported. In addition to the support with subsidies for all primary agricultural branches, the increase of the support for strategic sectors is necessary, the increase of the newly created value and the introduction of new products. For the development of strategic sub-sectors the “cluster” system needs to be used, which yielded positive results in the development of the sector for milk and meat production. GROM stands for the defining of the strategic sectors which can be subsectors upon which Macedonia will build brands such as ajvar, or for example, which can provide competitive export ability or reduction of the import. In addition to the strategic economic significance, the subsector support is necessary which are essential for the development of the hillside and mountain rural terrains such as livestock breeding, growing herbs, hillside and mountain cultures (“berries”), beekeeping, fishery etc. A special part is allocated for the support of the bio-production. GROM will support the intensifying of the livestock breeding and the development of the processing industry for meat and milk products. GROM will provide special support for the producers of milk and meat. It is necessary to increase the support for increasing the newly created value. In addition to the support for assembly-distributive centers or agro-stock markets, calibration and packing; the priority needs to placed on the support of the processing agro-industry (coolers, dryers, canning). The support needs to be consisted of subsidies for new facilities or machines at the amount of over 50 percent. The support for the development of new products is necessary as a part of the strategic approach. GROM will give support in the establishing of a permanent and efficient system of transfer of new technologies and knowledge in the agricultural sector. The agency for encouraging the development of the agriculture will be transformed. GROM will develop a strategy for the export of the domestic agricultural and livestock production, with the standardization of the domestic production and promotional strategy of the Macedonian products. United agriculturalists are strong agriculturalists. The conditions for the uniting in agricultural associations and the support of those associations will be increased, as well as the support for the development of economic activities such as machine equipment, marketing etc. special incentive will be given for the social economy and the cooperatives.
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Being multicultural –A Macedonian treasure For GROM, being multicultural is a Macedonian is a treasure and an advantage, not an obstacle for prosperity and the well-being of the citizens. After twelve years of application of the Ohrid Framework Agreement, GROM stands for the public debate for the achievements of the agreement. It is necessary to identify the fields where there are obligations for implementation and to speed up their implementation, as well as building the mutual strategy for the shared future. The strategy for the shared future needs to give an answer as a need for better reflection of the multiculture in the public and its harmonization with the civil society in the building of the vision for the mutual future. This strategy of GROM has multiple elements. GROM will stand for the building of the public awareness for acceptance of the multiculture, as an advantage, not a problem. In achieving the reflection of the multiculture in the public life, GROM recognizes, values and respects all identities and cultures, ethnic groups, religious communities, languages, their symbols, holidays and customs. GROM intends to contribute to the equality of the cultures. There are needs for policies, which will direct the development of multiple collective identities which exist together to a vision for a mutual future. These policies need to include integration policies in the residences, the education, the media, the political parties, the sports, the entertainment and recreation. In addition to this, the multiculture at a local level is a special challenge, as well as the better reflection of the identities and culture of the minorities. The multilinguality is a special challenge in Macedonia, which needs to be transformed from a dispute issue in to an advantage for Macedonia, with the support for studying of all the languages which are spoken in the country.
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Considered as connected and very important issues about the equality of the cultures, GROM pays special attention to the decentralization and the development of the local self-government, as well as of the equal regional development. For GROM the multiculturality as seen through the narrower prism of the inter-ethnical relations is a very important column for the stability and the prosperity. This is why GROM believes that there must be a political will and political leadership for continued dialogue and resolving of the challenges through a dialogue. The problems must not be delayed, they need to be resolved.
Reflection of the multiculturality in the public life, equality of the different cultures and a shared future
Recognizing the enormous importance of the multiculture, GROM believes that the political parties have a great responsibility in its promotion. GROM will demonstrate this in its own party practice, by including the multiculturality in the program and its reflection in the management of GROM.
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Focusing on the human development The development of the human capital is probably the only way for progress and the well-being in Macedonia. GROM will place the human development in the focus with the improvement of the healthcare, the education and science, the culture, the physical culture and sports, and the healthy environment.
Good health for every person GROM will provide an increase of the scope of the population with healthcare services and improvement of the healthcare services- their efficiency, effectiveness and quality. GROM will stand for the National concept for healthcare protection, based on which the Law on the Protection of the Environment, the Law on Health Insurance and the Law on Contributions from the mandatory social insurance will be amended and supplemented. Taking care of all three levels of healthcare protection: primary, secondary and tertiary, a special care will be paid to the preventive measures and the primary healthcare services. For GROM, the center of attention will be the mothers and the children, the young and the elderly. GROM stands for public healthcare available for everybody. GROM in its policies will return the respectability and the trust of the public healthcare, it will return the dignity of the patients, but at the same time it will return the dignity of the healthcare workers. But, GROM will support the pluralization in the healthcare protection, i.e. the Health Insurance Fund will cooperate on equal bases with the private sector, which will improve the healthcare protection through positive competition.
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In order to increase the scope of the population with healthcare services, multiple measures will be taken.
GROM will prioritize the prevention and the programs for preventive examinations for certain illnesses, by placing an accent on the malignant illnesses. The primary healthcare protection will be redefined and will be reinforced, by highlighting the institutions of the family or ward doctor. In order to improve the inclusion of the children, GROM will provide healthcare protection without participation for children up to 14 years of age and will provide funds and medicine for treatment of children with rare illnesses. GROM will cancel the participation for treatment of all persons older than 65 years of age and all well-fare cases. It will provide healthcare protection without participation for the socially affected groups, as well as for medical aids for persons with bodily disability, for the medical rehabilitation and physical therapy with persons with certain inherited and acquired illnesses.
GROM stands for: Public healthcare available for all; Increased profit; Improving the healthcare services
Greater care will be dedicated to the elderly citizens. As a part of the system for supported living, there will be work done on services form home medical treatment and care, their establishment, organizing and human resources teams in cooperation with the local government. GROM will encourage the development of the healthcare protection outside of Skopje and the maintaining of specialists in the towns and rural environments, for the provision of equal regional healthcare protection and will discourage the concentration in the public-healthcare institutions in Skopje. In order to support the rural development, there will be expansion of the healthcare
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infrastructure in the rural environments. Opportunities which GROM will promote are the mobile healthcare stations, which can include the most remote hillside and mountain villages. The students, by completing the medical studies, dentistry and pharmaceutical studies have a legal obligation to perform the internship in a period of one year. This prerequisite to take the professional exam and to acquire work license, the young doctors, dentists and pharmacists can perform in their own towns, in those medical centers. The part for medical labor, i.e. the infirmary examinations can be performed throughout the surrounding villages with mobile ambulances (vehicles which contain all the necessary instruments needed for a basic medical examination). In this way the patients will not go from the village in to the towns, and the doctors would be much more active in the rural environments. GROM will work on the improving of the healthcare services – their efficiency, effectiveness and high quality by working on the development of new healthcare services, the improving of the system of healthcare institutions, the equipping and will work on the quality of the healthcare personnel. GROM will work on creating the modern conditions (legal, organizational, spatial, in terms of personnel) for the transplantation of organs and tissues, giving advantage to the cadaver organ transplant and including the establishing of tissue banks and organ banks. It is necessary to establish a network of medical helicopter service for quick treatment of patients to and from the regional centers. The network of healthcare institutions needs to be expanded with regional centers for treatment of certain pathologies (trauma centers, neurosurgical centers, coma centers, centers for burn treatment, dialysis center, center for palliative medical treatment and treatment of patients in terminal phase of malignant illnesses). GROM will strengthen the emergency services and the visiting health services in the healthcare homes. GROM will make a complete medical map of all the public and private healthcare organizations in the Republic of Macedonia. The building of new public healthcare institutions is needed and it will renovate the standing facilities, on all levels of healthcare protection. Also, the modernization of the hospitals is needed in the work conditions, the hospital conditions and in the part of the boarding house services. For the first time in Macedonia, GROM will build a state cardio surgery. The provision of priority and modern medical equipment is needed (basic and necessary medical equipment and instruments) and with medicine and consumables and preventing the irrational supplies of expensive instruments which is insufficiently used. GROM will improve the supply of the pharmacies and the hospitals with medicine from the reimbursement list, with consumable medical material, orthopedic and other medical aids. For the quality of the healthcare personnel, the rationalization of the public healthcare system is necessary, a merit-system in the management of the healthcare institutions, improvement of the system of salaries and the promotion of the continued education of the healthcare workers. The public healthcare system needs to be rationalized with the reduction of the administration of the non-medical personnel.
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There must be a merit-system introduced in the management of the healthcare institutions. GROM will stand for the introduction of a management function of a head director of public healthcare institutions which will be in charge of all public healthcare institutions. In the payment system, GROM will stand for the assessment of the system of salaries according to labor output, as well as the increase of the value of the per capita point of the Primary care physician, the gynecologists and the dentists and introducing the multiple degrees of the point connected to the geographic characteristics of the field (doctors in rural areas) or the size of the place.
System of healthcare insurance on multiple levels
GROM will accelerate the completion of the project “Electronic healthcare card”, and the end goal will be the cancelling of doctor’s prescription and the blue healthcare cards. GROM will implement a reform in the financing of the healthcare protection. GROM will provide additional financial assets in HIFM from sales of beer, cigarettes, from sales of oil and its derivatives. GROM will introduce a multiple degree system of healthcare insurance, with basic healthcare insurance and additional packages of the healthcare insurance, with basic healthcare insurance and additional packages of healthcare insurance. An expansion of the healthcare insurance will be introduced with private insurance companies. GROM will create conditions for development of associations of patients, healthcare associations, associations of doctors in certain specialties, as well as of the unions. GROM will support the establishing of an Institute of Directors in the Healthcare. GROM will build partnership with them and will keep a dialogue for the improving of the healthcare protection.
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Education of knowledge and ability
GROM will build education of knowledge and abilities, which will include the scope of the educational system, the improving of the quality of the education, development of the system for continuous education, greater connection of the education with the policies for growth and work posts. Welcoming the introduction of the mandatory secondary education and the increasing of the opportunities for higher education, for improvement of the educational structure, GROM will question the current policies for partiality of the higher education. For GROM the priority is the pre-school, the elementary and secondary education, with a special accent placed on the vocational secondary education.
GROM stands for: Giving priority to the preschool, elementary and secondary school education; Highlighting the vocational secondary education
GROM will stand for the increase of the scope in the pre-school education, the decrease of the number of the young people which leave elementary and secondary education, as an accent on the integration of the vulnerable groups in the educational system. GROM shall stand for gradual leaving of special schools or separated classes, it will oppose the segregation and it will reinforce the integration. There will be further improvement of the quality of the elementary and secondary education with the improving of the educational infrastructure, a continuous improvement of the curriculums, and promotion of the quality system. We will invest in the building, reconstruction and maintaining of the educational institutions, especially of the elementary schools in the rural areas, the secondary vocational schools and in homes. The educational institutions will function as energy efficient facilities, and the savings will be reinvested in the quality of the classes. In addition to the improvement of the spatial conditions, the number of pupils will be reduced in a class for the improvement of the quality of the lessons.
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The curriculums and the textbooks will be reappraised taking into consideration if whether they are friendly for the children. The curriculums will be up to date, flexible and adjusted to the age of the young with a great use value. We will perform reaccreditation of all the study programs, especially the dispersed studies. The textbooks and the study tools will be turned in to concise and understandable tools in the mastering of the study contents.
Young people who know and have abilities, prepared for the labor market.
The external grading will serve to have the quality of the education improved, and not as an instrument for disciplining the students and the teachers. As such it can be applied only after a certain period for an experimental use. GROM stands for an integrated education. The education will be developed through the spirit of the multiculturalism through specific measures of the mutual introduction and socializing of the young from different communities. The history in the education, as well as the languages will be turned in to a tool for introduction and moving closer together, not in to an instrument which creates walls between the students from different communities. GROM will return the safety in the schools and will build conditions for healthy pupils. We will return the safety in the schools through setting the so called school police officers from the offices who maintain the public order. The physical activity and sports will be professionally organized in the kindergartens and the classes from first to fourth grade. Instead of cheap and unhealthy snacks, we will encourage the use of more vegetables and fruit. The education will create young people who have knowledge and have abilities. The education will be enriched with a great deal of practice in all degrees, at the expense of the often times unusable theoretic classes. We will invest in the purchase of supervising means and educational films which will make the classes much more interesting. We will support all the forms of classes outside of classrooms and amphitheatres such as: classes held in the nature, research camps, practice, internship, practical classes. We will provide additional means for practice and field work of the public higher educational institutions.
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The education must be connected to the labor market. The enrollment policy in secondary and higher education will be adjusted according to the needs on the labor market.
The secondary vocational education must provide an earlier inclusion on the labor market with the shortening of the period of theoretic classes and increase of the practice period. GROM will introduce financial support for the secondary vocational personnel which are a deficit on the market. For the support of the competitively, innovation and entrepreneurship the classes in foreign and regional languages, IT, mathematics and natural sciences and financial knowledge will be increased. The study programs of the state universities and the syllabuses in the secondary vocational schools will be brought and altered in cooperation with the business sector. For an easier transition from high school and higher education, practice shall be introduced as a measure of employment.
Public awareness and a system of lifelong continuous studying
GROM stands for a strong public educational system. This is why the public education must be free from the daily policy. We will provide effective decentralization of the education due to the raising of the quality and the responsibility. The state bodies in charge of the education will be the services of the educational institutions. We will return the autonomy of the universities. An efficient educational system depends on the motivational personnel and GROM will work on the improvement of the work conditions of the educational workers, as well as the enabling of more time for work with the students. In order to improve the education, the competition must be increased. We will provide intensive mobility of the pupils, students and the educational staff through efficient use of the EU funds. With the support of the pluralization of the educational institutions GROM will encourage a creative competitive market between the educational entities. GROM will support a creative competitive market between the educational entities. GROM will assess the opportunity to introduce a system of direct financing of the pupils and students, which will enable the freedom of choice of the educational institution. GROM as it is stated in the economic growth, by creating job posts, it will create conditions for Macedonia to be a regional educational center and will provide support for the educational institutions recognizable for the quality outside of Macedonia.
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GROM will create conditions for associating of the pupils and the students, as well as for their pluralization. GROM will create associations and syndicates, as well as those for the students and the students will be partners in the development of the education. The education does not end at twenty years of age. GROM will work on the change of the public awareness for the lifelong or continuous learning. The system of continuous studying must be pluralized for the increase of the number of verified institutions, with the inclusion of the civil sector and the private providers, for which direct financial supports and indirect financial supports will be provided, including tax supports. It is necessary to increase the number of the verified programs for informal education (continuous and incident), as well as the specter of qualifications and the programs for “soft� skills and entrepreneurial spirit to receive equal treatment in the verification procedures. GROM will stand for the standards for training delivery to be focused on the delivery of practical training and acquiring of clear qualifications of the visitors, with competencies for independent and responsible performance of the acquired skills. The companies and the individuals who invest in the continuous studying need to be supported with tax reliefs. GROM will stand for the employees from the private sector to participate in the IPA-development programs of human resources. Also, GROM will stand for the creation of measures which will be financed by the European Social Fund. GROM will stand for the creation of a national fund for subsidizing of the trainings of the employed at the Small and Medium Enterprises and the newly formed businesses. And finally, we will bring a legal frame for the valuing of the knowledge acquired through informal studying, i.e. the knowledge and experiences acquired in the frames of the family, friends, from the media, at the work post.
Applicable science for greater productivity GROM will increase the investment in the research and the development of two percent from the GDP, as a necessary step to the European goal of three percent. GROM will form a science fund for financial support in the application of the scientific achievements. In addition to the public investments and the public scientific institutions, in which the equipping will be improved and the staff will be consisted of younger people, GROM will also encourage private investments and pluralization of the scientific institutions, including private providers, through the direct financial support and the indirect financial support with tax encouragements.
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There will be stimulation of creating excellence centers which will be specifically financed by the state. The capacities of the scientific institutions will be strengthened for greater competitiveness in the international programs. Trainings for managing of projects to raise the competitiveness of our scientists in the international programs will be organized. Free access will be enabled to the greatest world bases of scientific publications and information.
For the research and development 2 estimated from the GDP
The culture as an instigator of creativity GROM supports the European vision of culture which is based on the promotion of the cultural differences and the intercultural dialogue, the promotion of culture as a catalyst of creativity and promotion of culture as a vital element in the international relations. For GROM the general purposes and priorities in the culture will be: the strengthening of the legal and institutional infrastructure; providing stable sources of income; creating a strong staff capacity; promotion of culture; the decentralization in the management and the financing which on the other hand includes an equal cultural development; the protection of the cultural goods, as well as international cooperation. GROM stands for a precise determining of the status and the criteria for acquiring the title free artist. Exemption from payment of any type of levies or taxes for their works, as well as for a system of placing the management personnel and following to the success in the operation directed to the creation of income from the cultural activities.
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GROM stands for a clear definition of the public interest in the culture, but also for the general goals and priorities which need to be realized in the culture. Creating a complete strategy for which all the resources from finance, science and art will be used to develop the awareness of the culture, the institutions, the partnerships with other sectors and the international partnerships, which would be a part of our development policy and which would bring the cultural product as an interesting placement on the market, and in the cultural industry for a field of investment and personal development.
GROM stands for Creative industries; Cultural tourism; Cultural heritage; Cultural brands
All of this applied will bring to a cultural policy which has its own sustainable development and culture which will have a significant role in the cultural tourism, as well as a culture as one of the most profitable economic branches. The culture will establish bases for creative industries, cultural tourism, cultural heritage as a factor of socio-economic development, cultural brands (protection from UNESCO). GROM will reaffirm the strategy for cultural and alternative tourisms, and it will engage itself for the provision of financial and technical support from the international foundations which will expand the traditional matrix and the discourse of the culture. The systematic connecting of all the factors in the culture and the connecting with the inventive people from the tourism in the building of the strategy for cultural tourism, as a strong economic branch; forming of cultural enclaves outside the frames of the norm for the local self-government (the Old Skopje Bazaar, Krushevo, Ohrid- the old town). The development of the creative industries and the stimulation of the renewal of the old trades and the traditional skills will be supported. A register of the entire cultural heritage with valorization and revalorization will be formed; increasing the funds for the protection and restoration according to priorities and in accordance with the strategy for cultural tourism, the subsidizing of the tourist offer in which the cultural heritage is valorized.
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GROM in the field of culture sets a task for itself to prepare methodologically and to nominate on the list of the world cultural heritage UNESCO the following facilities and historical integrities: the church “St. Pantelejmon� in Veles, the work of the great architect Andrej Damjanov; the monastery Zrze (or Treskavec or Kurbinovo); the Colorful Mosque in Tetovo; the historic Urban integrity in Kratovo; the historic core (cultural path) of the Old Skopje Bazaar. In this significant venture, the rich cultural heritage of Macedonia would be valued and internationally affirmed, and at the same time by acquiring the brand UNESCO, the chances (competitiveness) would increase for Macedonia for the tourism on a global plan, since the signature of UNESCO behind the stated values is an obligation for the local and central authority to maintain the high level of protection of these goods and at the same time to attract visitors from everywhere. The cultural needs of the young people are a special aspect. A promotion is needed for the culture in the schools; strengthening of the partnership between the schools and the institutions from the culture; financial, organizational and spatial to support and stimulate the independent cultural scene and the culture of the young. Also, a special institution is needed which deals with the cultural needs of the young in a systematic manner by constructing the cultural needs of the young, by raising the awareness of the young people about the significance of the culture, as well as with the support of the young talents. GROM will create conditions for the development of the guild and other cultural associations.
Sport for everyone GROM will provide access and inclusion of all age groups: children, pupils, students, the young, adult people and the elderly in sports, which will upgrade the success of the Macedonian sport in all levels. GROM will provide a concentrated, clear and feasible concept of the national strategy and program for the development of sports in the Republic of Macedonia. A National Sports Council will be formed, a National Council of Experts for raising of the inter-institutional coordination on government level. The new strategy will be turned in to a new Law on Sports. GROM will stand for development in sports which have tradition, interest and when there are necessary preconditions for their development. The sports must be available for all: children, pupils, students, the young, the adult people and the elderly in all fields in the country. This is why it is necessary to have appropriate and equally developed sports infrastructure on all of its territory.
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For the children and the sports, in the kindergartens GROM will introduce optional realization of the physical education with a basic group of exercises for the development of the basic motor activity in children at the age of four to six years of age. Sports orientation will be introduced in the primary schools, as well as a mandatory scope of lessons for physical education of the pupils from the primary and secondary schools. New syllabuses will be prepared for the physical education in accordance with the modern trends, spaces in the schools and kindergartens will be adapted for the realization of this type of classes, with appropriate props for physical education for these categories of children and pupils. Financing of the student sport will be provided and the classes in physical education in the higher education.
GROM stands for: 30 percent inclusion in the amateur sports clubs Participation of 3,000 Macedonian athletes at international competitions annually
The school and university sport will be a tool for coexistence between the young, but also a never ending source of future top athletes. For the development of the school and university sport, professionals will be hired for the organizing of the school sport in zones; participation of the winners in the small Olympic Games will be provided in international competitions and Olympic Games; organizing of the small Olympic Games will be provided in the spirit and the symbolism of the Olympic spirit. The organizers of the small Olympic Games will have great support from the state and top sports manifestations for the students will be organized and Balkan competitions in school and university sport will be initiated. GROM will undertake the necessary measures for a greater inclusion of the women in sports and sports activities, as well as in the management structures of the Macedonian sport. Also, recreational sport for persons with special needs will be supported, their complete inclusion in the programs of the special Olympics, in the sports for the persons who are deaf or have impaired hearing, for which a Paralympics sports center in the Republic of Macedonia will be provided, for the persons with special needs. GROM will define the significance and the role of the army and police sport in the frames of the sports in the Republic of Macedonia.
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The Old games through which the young people were educated will be revived. Championships in hopscotch, dodge ball and other games. Various forms of bringing more life to the neighborhood life will be encouraged, for which separate playgrounds will be built for old games in the municipalities where the interest exists. A basis for the development of the mass sport and recreation will be the amateur competitions. The organization of amateur competitions will be encouraged with the participation of the municipal and with the organization of the appropriate sports federations. GROM will strive to make sure that everyone practices sport which will increase the inclusion in the amateur sports clubs.
GROM stands for: 30 percent inclusion in the amateur sports clubs Participation of 3,000 Macedonian athletes at international competitions annually
The top sport will be developed systematically. The National Council of Experts will be established which will be in charge of the development and monitoring of the high quality and top sports which will be selected and which will be in a council role of the Government of the Republic of Macedonia. A special center will be formed for the development of the top sport. Macedonia will have a strict selection method in the support of separate sports, as well as in the direction of the support of sport which hold the tradition or sports for which there are preconditions and interest, and in the sense of the support of only the best for the participation in the top sports events and will strive towards playing on European, world and Olympic level only in a realized sports norm. GROM will increase the participation of the Macedonian athletes on international competitions of 3,000 athletes annually. A special prioritized attention and care will be given to the ones with a talent for sport. The sports orientation in all primary schools which will enable the children to direct themselves from a young age towards the sports for which they are most talented and for which they have the greatest chances of achieving top results. With a support from the state, separate sports bases will be formed for the development of the sports with the most trophies in under the competence of the appropriate federations. The spatial problems of the federations in the sports with the most trophies will be resolved.
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GROM will introduce new standards for building of the sports facilities, the lease conditions or concession and the protection of the interests of the sport. The built facilities must be put in to operation for the development of the sport. The public company for management of sports facilities will be terminated, and the built sports halls will be awarded to the municipalities and the universities. Sports facilities for all the state universities will be built. Efficient and rational use of the sports facilities will be enabled, and GROM stands for the free use of the built sports facilities with money from the state budget. It is necessary to create and upgrade legal bases for the private-public partnership for the building, maintaining and use of the sports facilities of public interest. GROM shall provide the building of new covered and open pools. In order to have good sports there is a need for sports centers and other expert persons. GROM will introduce a new categorization and classification for the sports professions, by introducing the competencies necessary for their performance. GROM will strive to increase the number of sports coaches, as well as a guarantee for minimal conditions for works and creating opportunities for upgrade. It is imperative to have a strong and independent union of sports federations. All relevant sports federations will be included in the alliance. The Macedonian Olympic committee needs to be reformed. In the financing of the sport the share of the GDP intended for sports will be increased. National and local foundations for support of the sports will be formed. It is necessary to question the relations with the State Lottery of Macedonia and the Sports Betting houses in order to increase the funds intended for sports. Indirect financial support with tax incentives is necessary in order to increase the financing of the private sector. For GROM, the sport has a greater role in the social relations. GROM will initiate the development of the sports culture and ethics, in all spheres of the education and in all amateur and professional clubs, based on sports tolerance and ethics as an essential part of the inter-cultural policy. These high standards shall be implemented on the fields and the stadiums, among the audience and the fans, and the violence and the hate speech must be prevented, in and outside of the sports fields.
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Life in a healthy environment GROM will build public awareness of the importance of ecology and the protection of the environment, as a necessity as well as a resource for socioeconomic development. GROM will stand for increase of transparency of the pollution of the environment; improvement of the management with solid and liquid waste; protection of nature. The level of transparency regarding the pollution of the environment will be raised. A large number of ecological signs will be set up, the public will be informed and specific measures will be undertaken in the surpassing of the maximal permitted quantities. GROM will support research on the degree of pollution of the environment in Macedonia.
The level of transparency regarding the pollution of the environment will be raised, and the nature in Macedonia will be protected
The nature in Macedonia will be protected. Content on strengthening the ecological awareness in children will be planned in the curricula for introduction to nature and biology. The national parks, natural reservations and park-forests will be real places for enjoyments for nature aficionados. Autochthonous and endemic plant, animal and fungal species whose survival in Macedonia is endangered will be protected. Forests will be treated as natural treasures that will be subject to a special regimen of exploitation and renewal. The renewal of the forest communities in Macedonia will be performed in cooperation with top institutions in this area. Right-less use of forests will be subject to strictest penalties the collection of which will be reinvested in their renewal. Forests will be given under concessions under strictly controlled conditions and under strong inspection.
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The nature in Macedonia will be protected. Content on strengthening the ecological awareness in children will be planned in the curricula for introduction to nature and biology. The national parks, natural reservations and park-forests will be real places for enjoyments for nature aficionados. Autochthonous and endemic plant, animal and fungal species whose survival in Macedonia is endangered will be protected. Forests will be treated as natural treasures that will be subject to a special regimen of exploitation and renewal. The renewal of the forest communities in Macedonia will be performed in cooperation with top institutions in this area. Rightless use of forests will be subject to strictest penalties the collection of which will be reinvested in their renewal. Forests will be given under concessions under strictly controlled conditions and under strong inspection. Full improvement of the solid and liquid waste is necessary. Simultaneous creation of awareness for the need of separation and recycling is necessary, as well as development of a system for separation and recycling of solid waste. The management with solid waste must be on a regional level due to the necessary infrastructure investments. Direct and indirect recycling support will be provided. Support for water purification will be provided, especially in the slaughter and some branches of the food industry. A study will be prepared for the needs for purification of waste waters for protection of surface and underground waters. The IPA funds and part of the budget funds will be used for intensive construction of purification stations. The objective is for the rivers in Macedonia to become ecosystems rich in flora and fauna, suitable for swimming, and for Vardar to become a natural habitat for trouts and for the citizens to be able to swim in it. Food production will use solely safe chemical preparations. The controls for import of pesticides will be strengthened. Support for organic production without use of chemicals will be supported. The use of genetically modified organisms (GMO) in Macedonia will be in accordance with the EU regulations. There will be efficient control of the import and use of GMO which will have to be accordingly labeled. The production of genetically modified agricultural crops will be limited in order to protect traditional production. GROM will provide favorable market conditions for new industries arising from the need for protection from climate changes, protection of the environment, energy efficiency and use of renewable energy sources. The state will stimulate use of renewable energy sources (solar, wind, biogas,‌). The investment in construction of windmills in the areas that have natural conditions will be intensified. Benefits for companies that will produce solar system parts will be provided. The opening of energy plants for combustion of waste from agriculture, forests that will provide biogas will be stimulated. Cattle farms will be stimulated to install systems for collection of waste waters and production of biogas. GROM will share and multiply its experience in order to achieve energy efficiency of residential buildings and business buildings, in order to achieve the national objective of five percent energy efficient buildings annually. GROM will motivate the concept of energy efficiency of residential buildings with subsidies for renovation of facades and personal investment of citizens in the renovation of windows. The state will be much more stringent towards industrial capacities that will pollute the environment. The funds from ecology penalties will be reinvested solely in ecological projects (purification stations, forest renewal, protection of natural treasures). GROM will create conditions for ecological civil organizations as promoters for strengthening of ecological awareness and protection from ecological disasters. GROM will provide special support for civil organizations for protection of the environment and plant and animal life, it will support their international cooperation and will approach influential world organizations. 59
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Social cohesion and equal opportunities The increased social vulnerability of various social groups, the poverty and unemployment, especially of the marginal groups, represents a major challenge for the society in the provision of equal opportunities, social security and social inclusion for the purposes of strengthening social cohesion. GROM will start a fast reform of the social protection via a full reorganization and modernization of the social protection and social security system, whereby greater efficiency and effectiveness of the same will be provided and will be based on human rights and individual differences. The reformed system of social protection will be easily available and will better target vulnerable groups, simultaneously being adjusted to the local and regional needs and will provide a stimulating environment for development of social services, with high level of pluralisation. The system must be focused on preventive measures, and it must be better integrated with the education system and employment policies.
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Reform of social protection, reorganization and modernization
In order to achieve the above the operation of the institutions for social protection must have better organization, the structure of the social work centers must be reformed and the standardization of the social protection and licensing systems must be improved.
Social inclusion with activation of vulnerable groups and de-institutionalization
GROM supports the further process for de-institutionalization (care outside of institutions) of vulnerable groups as an essential part of social inclusion, regardless of whether the case are the disabled, children, elderly, or other vulnerable groups. For support of the process, the alternative forms of care will be supported, as well as the services for supported living, which will lead to greater social inclusion and achieving service quality. Whereby, the financial support for the care at the persons own family or alternative forms of care must be equalized with that of institutional care. Social care must be changed from passive measures, i.e. direct financial transfers to end users that do not enable activation of the vulnerable groups and strengthening of their capacities to enter the labor market, as a consequence of the same. Diminishing poverty by providing work places and measures for social inclusion for those who remain too long in the social protection systems – some even forever. GROM shall support the active social protection, having as final goal the strengthening of the capacities of vulnerable groups of citizens and their long-term inclusion on the labor market. This should be achieved with amendment of the legal regulation, with inclusion of the right for the user to choose between receiving direct finances and using the service according to their own needs. The action level needs to be raised for the public health nursing service – service for social help for elderly people, for disabled persons and for vulnerable groups. It should be invested in a system of services for supported living, taking into account the growing needs with the aging of the population and the deinstitutionalization.
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Improved access, adaptation and quality via pluralisation Improving the access, adaptation and the quality of the social service providers via pluralisation and greater involvement , in addition to the country, of the municipalities, of the civil society and the private providers. The process of pluralisation of the social protection needs to be supported with a financial support for the service providers. Further development of the social services network is necessary, as well as development of the forms of non-institutional protection, especially in the municipalities and the rural areas with difficult access to social services. Continuing of the process for decentralization of the social protection, not only by transferring responsibilities, but also by providing financial sources for the social services. Greater inclusion of the civil society in the service provision by allocating co-financing from the national and local budgets. Analysis of the possibilities for public-private partnerships or support for realizing profit by the service providers, in the geographic areas which are not covered with the protection systems or the types of social services that are highly demanded. The pluralisation process must be accompanied by improvement of the standardization in the social protection and the licensing systems.
Diminishing poverty Striving towards eradication of poverty, the mid-term goal is to reduce the number of persons living under the poverty threshold, from the present one third to one fifth, and the gap between the richest and the poorest citizens needs to be diminished. The poverty can be diminished by providing growth and work positions (described in the appropriate part); employment for the vulnerable groups; special measures for social inclusion of the individual social groups. The employment of the vulnerable groups, among other things, requires compulsory psychological – social support and rehabilitation of the vulnerable groups of citizens, before they enter the labor market. The social economy shall be promoted as an opportunity for employment of persons who can hardly be employed on the labor market.
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Particular attention shall be paid to the improvement of the housing conditions for the socially vulnerable groups, via support of the construction of social homes and decreasing the price of the construction land. GROM shall support the application of the “halfway house” model for vulnerable groups, such as the orphans under the age of 18 and the victims of domestic violence upon leaving the shelters. GROM shall work in the direction of providing home for the homeless people, via the “housing first” approach.
Diminishing poverty by providing work places and measures for social inclusion
The diminishing of the poverty in the mountain areas is especially addressed with the measures for rural development.
Equal opportunities, non-discrimination and social inclusion of women, disabled persons and other vulnerable groups The equality, i.e. the equal opportunities, as well as the non-discrimination, must be established in all areas and must refer to all citizens in Macedonia. The equal opportunities and non-discrimination, generally, refer to all marginalized and vulnerable groups in the society, where according to GROM, the women, the disabled person, the Roma population and the other especially vulnerable groups are priority. In order to prevent discrimination, continuous actions are necessary for building public awareness for vulnerable groups, as well as improving the educational curricula for preventing prejudices and stereotypes. As part of the prevention of prejudices, prosecution needs to be reinforced for crimes based on hatred. For prevention and protection against discrimination, the legislation, including the Law on Prevention and Protection against Discrimination, needs to be improved, with its harmonization according to the European directives, including explicit inclusion of the sexual orientation as a basis for discrimination. The legal and financial framework of the Commission for protection against discrimination, needs to be reinforced, as well as the one of the Public prosecutor. The competences of the municipal commissions and coordinators for equal opportunities shall be modified and supplemented.
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In order to improve the effectiveness, greater coordination is necessary for institutions competent for protection against discrimination. Appraisal is necessary for the integration of multiple institutions into one state institution for human rights and protection against discrimination. GROM shall implement the provisions from the Beijing Declaration (1995) and the Action platform that envisages improvement of the women’s status in the public and private life. This might be achieved via consistent application of the budgeting according to sexes, i.e. inclusion of the sex aspect in the national and local budgets, meaning that enough funds would be allocated to programs and actions directed towards women and poverty, education, health, violence and other social aspects. The convention for the rights of the disabled persons represents a great challenge, the implementation of which demands harmonization of the legislation, and improvement of the financing. The integration of the disabled pupils and students in the education must be improved. The deinstitutionalization of the disabled persons must proceed at a rapid pace, and in parallel with the development of alternative models. The existing concept for support of the employment of disabled persons in special enterprises needs to be reviewed as part of the deinstitutionalization process, and the measures for employment in all enterprises and all work positions need to be supported. In order to provide equal opportunities for the disabled persons, the work positions need to provide possibilities to be performed by disabled persons. Measures are needed for greater inclusion of the Roma population and the members of the other ethnic communities in the pre-school and the education system. GROM shall pay particular attention to the social prevention, with organizational and financial reform and greater support of the preventive activities.
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Favorable conditions for the family GROM is dedicated to creating favorable conditions for the family. Key step for this is the improvement of the woman’s position. Measures are needed regarding the protection of the women-mothers, and improved support is needed for the women in terms of care for children and care for the house, as well as the increasing need for care of the older family members. A public model needs to be created for the woman that is a mother and a worker at the same time, and the role of the husband in the parenting and care for the home needs to be increased. In order to improve the support regarding the children’s care, the system of kindergartens needs to be expanded, and the scope of children covered needs to be at least doubled, also including a support for the large enterprises to open kindergartens, as well as provision of co-financing from the national and local budgets for the providers of kindergartens from the private or civil sector.
increased role of men in parenting and home
GROM shall support the professionalization and standardization of the service – taking care of children in domestic conditions or children’s nannies. GROM shall analyze the possibility for financial support of the system for taking care of children in domestic conditions, where no other possibilities exist. GROM stands for the women’s right to abortion, i.e. that women should have the right to control the birth, but the abortion should not be applicable as a contraception mean. GROM stands for free contraception for girls under the age of 18. GROM shall increase the protection for single parents, in terms of social protection, and in terms of employment. GROM stands for introduction of the right on surrogate motherhood in Macedonia, as an alternative manner to enlarge the family, by enabling medical treatment and defining the parenting right.
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The system for prevention and protection of victims of domestic and sexual violence shall be improved, by raising public awareness, education, measures for protection and opening more shelters. GROM shall support the application of the “halfway house” model for the vulnerable groups, such as the orphans upon turning the age of 18, and the victims of domestic violence, upon leaving the shelters. GROM shall undertake measures in order to reinforce the fight against human trafficking.
Care for older citizens As part of the care for older people, the principles of active aging shall be promoted, through active participation of the older people in the everyday activates, with good health, greater satisfaction on the work place, greater independence in the everyday life and greater inclusion as citizens. GROM shall support the recognition and shall encourage the unpaid work that the older people perform as volunteers in the associations of citizens and in the community, and as guardians of other persons; the health promotion and the preventive health protection for the older persons; accessible and available transport for older persons. Life-long learning and acquiring new skills shall be encouraged and tax reliefs shall be introduced for employment of older persons.
ГРОМ, will promote active aging princiopot
A strategy shall be prepared for solving the problems that the older people face in the companies and during their retirement, and activities shall be undertaken for elimination of the forms of discrimination according to the age. The pension system needs to be improved, and the lowest pension needs to be defined in relation to the lowest salary. This way, the most vulnerable categories of older citizens should be protected.
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As part of the protection of the older citizens, the issue with the pension rights of citizens who turned 64, i.e. 62 years of age, but who did not serve the necessary length of service, needs to be solved for example, through additional payment for the length of service. Having into account the needs for adaption according to the enterprises’ business and technical-technological changes, and at the same time, the situation of limited possibilities and capabilities for further qualification and requalification of older workers, a possibility needs to be provided for an early retirement, with longer deadlines than the present legal solutions, and increased rate of older people who pay the additional fee for length of service. As a response to the challenge of the aging population, for care of the older citizens, as well as other groups as necessary, it shall be invested in a system of services for supported living, including with pluralisation of the service providers. In the system development, account must be taken of the needs for support of various age groups, from minimum, through geriatric, to a support in terminal phase (also including not so old citizens).
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Safe citizens - crime-free environment According to GROM, the safety of the citizen and their surrounding should be a priority in the safety and defense policy of the Republic of Macedonia. The personal and public safety represents a foundation for every society, and basically, it refers to the safety of the citizens, their lives and their property. In the direction of improving the personal and public safety, GROM stands for municipal police, as a key reform in the decentralization. With the municipal police, and first of all, return of the district police officers, the safety in the settlements, their neighborhoods, their districts shall be improved, and the citizens’ feeling of safety shall be increased. The presence of police officers, to some extent, shall have an effect on the prevention and decreasing of the crime rate.
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For improving the personal and public safety and returning the district police officers.
The non-affiliation to parties of the institutions responsible for keeping the public order and peace and defense of the country, as well as the establishment of employment standards in these institutions is a priority for GROM. GROM stands for establishing new standards for the functioning of these institutions, at the same time paying particular attention to the staff policy, by employing and promoting the competent staff. With the separation from the parties, as well as with the continuance of the reforms in the police, primarily, strengthening the internal control and the independent supervision, GROM shall contribute towards more effective police, a police that shall enjoy greater respect, credibility and trust. The fight against the organized criminal and corruption must find its place among the priorities. GROM stands for a strategic approach in the fight against organized criminal such as drug trafficking; human/women and children trafficking; smuggling of migrants; stealing vehicles; trade with antiques. It means finally starting a struggle against organizers, and not only prosecuting the perpetrators. GROM stands for organized safety approach in the protection of the cultural heritage in the sacral buildings. GROM stands for creating a strategy for prevention of the pedophilia, as threat for the children, primarily through safety and social prevention, but also through a control of pedophiles. In order to reduce the crime rate, and especially the criminal acts that involve violence, as well as the accidental incidents, the number of illegal weapons in Macedonia, which exists in large quantities and which is easily available at the moment, must be decreased. GROM stands for strengthening the policies for elimination of illegal small arms and light weapon, as well as beginning projects for population’s disarmament. Having into account the situation for regional safety and the economic perspectives, we can come to a conclusion that the integration in the North-Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is the key solution. Therefore, according to GROM, there is no other alternative to solve these problems, except becoming a full member of NATO, which shall ensure the safety of the country and shall improve the climate for foreign investments. The protection and rescue at national and local level impose as a greater necessity. GROM considers necessary to establish mobile units for protection and rescue at local level.
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Balkan crossroad Communication, traffic, energetic, IT, telecommunication and media infrastructure is necessary for achieving the strategic priorities.
Transport infrastructure The transport infrastructure, along with the energetic infrastructure, shall take the priority in the public investments. Equal priority in the traffic infrastructure shall be given to corridors 8 and 10, but also the roads Skopje – Ohrid, Prilep – Bitola and Shtip – Strumica. GROM claims “arriving from Skopje to any place in the country for only 90 minutes driving”.
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“from Skopje to any place in the country, for only 90 minutes driving”
However, in order to cut the travelling time, in addition to improving the road infrastructure, the waiting time at the border passageways and tolls must be decreased. GROM suggests abandoning of the toll system and its replacement with the vignette system. The railroad infrastructure should be renewed, beginning from the key railway stations, the railway fleet, as well as the existing tracks. The construction of the railroads should continue in parallel with the process of cooperation with Albania and Bulgaria. The airway traffic should be further developed, by supporting the introduction of new flights. GROM stands for, as soon as possible, conclusion of the agreement for transport community in the region, under the umbrella of the European Union, as a way for better and more effective transport on the Balkans. GROM stands for development of the cycling traffic, as a way of transport. In a short term, GROM shall strive for improvement of the condition of the existing cycling paths, enabling continuous riding along the cycling paths and increasing the number of parking lots for bicycles. For a long-term and sustainable development of a cycling traffic, the cycling networks shall be expanded by building new cycling paths, at the same time observing the standards for their construction; reduced-speed zones shall be introduced for motor vehicles where there are no spatial conditions for new cycling paths, so that motor vehicles’ drivers and the cyclist can safely participate in the traffic; as well as for the purpose of continuous maintenance, improvement and expansion of the public system for lending bicycles.
Energy infrastructure
GROM has multiple objectives in the energy infrastructure: to increase the production of the electric energy, to improve the connection of the Macedonian energy system with the regional, as well as to increase the efficiency in the energy consumption. The increase of the total electric energy production should be carried out by using clearer power sources, such as the gas, meaning that the efficient delivery of gas in the country has a key role. At the same time, another objective is to increase the share of the renewable energy sources, according to the European standards, with an accent on the development of the solar energy, wind energy, small hydroelectric power plants, as well as the thermal power stations working on biomass and biogas.
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Amendments shall be made in the legal regulation that regulates the area of the energy sector, the rules for networking and distribution systems, in order to support the investments in the energetics. The stimulations of the energy production from renewable sources shall also support the production of domestic energy equipment for fully sustainable energy, as well as the creation of the new work positions in the renewable energy sector. All private investments shall be stimulated provided that they are creating new work positions, and provided that they reduce the import of energy and energy equipment. The new favored tariffs for purchase of electric energy generated from renewable energy sources shall encourage private investments. The growth of the favored tariffs, which shall amount from 20% to 40%, is related to the percentage share of the equipment from the domestic production in the total investment. The domestic component in the total value of the projects should not be less than 50%, and for some investments, not less than 60%. With these measures, the marginal inclination towards import shall be decreased, the investments in innovative solutions and technological development shall be stimulated, and the import value shall be decreased, investments in the domestic capacities shall be encouraged, and thus, this shall help to decrease the unemployment. These measures shall have an effect on five persistent problems in the Macedonian economy, such as: decrease in the import of electric energy, decrease in the import of equipment for building power plants, growth of the industrial activity, development and promotion of the private sector, reduction of the unemployment. At the same time, following the period when these industries shall become mature in Macedonia, the export of such equipment, primarily on the European market, shall be encouraged with the price of the factors such as the production, the services and the vicinity of the European market. Macedonia should further develop the high-voltage network and the relationship of the country’s energy system with the ones of the neighboring countries. Macedonia is committed towards increasing the efficiency in the energy consumption, which should be achieved with the improvement of the energy network, as well as with the improvement of the energy efficiency in the apartment and business facilities. GROM shall share and multiply its experience for reaching energy efficiency in the apartment and business facilities, in order to achieve the necessary level of five percent at annual level for renovated facilities. GROM shall promote the energy efficiency concept for apartment buildings with subsidies for renovation of the facades and citizens’ personal investments for replacement of the old windows with new ones. In the direction of improving the competitiveness, the energy efficiency in the business facilities shall be supported as well. Special emphasis shall be put on the energy efficiency in the public sector.
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Media With regard to “free citizens for free society”, GROM stated that “the free society needs free media”. The guarantying of the media pluralism and the independence of the media companies represents a prerequisite for a democratic society. GROM shall always stand on the side of the professional, independent and investigatory journalism, as a basic condition for a responsible government. Favorable conditions must be created for free media, including restrains from comments about the work of the journalists, restrains from initiation of procedures against defamation, as well as creating conditions for fair and loyal competition. The ownership of media must be transparent and all illegitimate party-media relationships must be ended. GROM does not allow financial or editorial influences over the political subjects in the media sector. The main task of GROM’s media policies is to protect the pluralism, to raise the quality of the media contents, as well as to create conditions for development of the media market, and related markets. GROM’s policies for market regulation shall allow dynamic and proactive regulation of the media concentration and media’s ownership structure, in a manner that shall contribute towards development of the media market and promotion of the freedom of expression. The media and media professionals must be guaranteed the right of professional association. The dual system of public and private media companies also has a contribution towards preserving the pluralism. GROM’s media policy takes care for provision of a fair competition ambient on the media market, where both, the public and private media companies, shall have an opportunity to achieve balanced progress. The public media system must provide educational, cultural and informative programme contents.
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Professional, independent and investigatory journalism as a basic condition for responsible government
The informative contents in the media, and especially the public service programmes, must reflect pluralism of opinions and must provide an access and enable participation in the public information system for all minorities in the society. Public media services must be a civil forum for exchange of various ideas and standpoints in the spirit of the democratic societies. The new Law on Media provides more regulations for the media, which is in contrary to the global trends. GROM’s media policy shall strive towards de-regulation of the media and greater participation of the citizens in the regulation of the media and the public media service. On internet – the media and the press do not need a detailed regulation. The regulations under the other laws (Criminal Code, the Law on Protection of Competition, Law on Copyrights and Related Rights etc.) and the self-regulation are a sufficient regulation framework.
Telecommunications and information society In the sphere of electronic communications, GROM strives towards boosting the competition on the electronic communications market and further decreasing of the prices in the fixed, mobile telephony and internet. Significant effort shall be put in the direction of decreasing the prices for roaming conversations in order to stimulate growth of the communications with Europe. The policies for electronic communications shall be directed towards boosting competition on the digital television market, implementation of a digital radio, as well as reducing the prices and increasing the usage of a mobile and fixed broadband internet. GROM’s policies shall be directed towards development of e-trade, and especially the e-services of the state and public institutions. The development of services in the area of e-education and remote studying has a key importance. GROM shall promote and support “clouds” archiving and data usage.
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Decreasing the prices in the fixed, mobile telephony and internet.
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Macedonia integrated in the region, Europe and at global level GROM is devoted to a full integration of Macedonia in the region, the European Union, NATO and at global level. The foreign policy of the Republic of Macedonia, conducted by GROM, shall be based on several priorities: membership in the European Union and active participation in the creation and implementation of the European policy, NATO membership; protection of the rights of the citizens of the Republic of Macedonia abroad, and support of the identity, culture and language of the diaspora; support of the companies on the foreign markets in the cooperation with the economic chambers; active good-neighboring and regional policy; appropriate participation in the international organizations and professional and flexible diplomacy.
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Not only are EU and NATO a political objective, but they are also a process of transformation of the society and the economy.
GROM takes into account the seriousness of the problem with the differences regarding the name of our country. GROM puts efforts to achieve national unity via political dialogue run by the President of the Republic of Macedonia. The standpoint realized this way, should not be a subject to disputes among parties. The integration of the Republic of Macedonia in the European Union is a strategic objective without alternative. Republic of Macedonia belongs to Europe and it is integral part on every basis. The NATO membership is of vital interest for the Republic of Macedonia. It shall deepen the Atlantic relations and it shall re-affirm NATO as a single option for collective defense and guarantee for our safety. The EU and NATO integration is not only a political objective, but also a process of transformation of the society and the economy. Having known the key importance of this issue, the citizens must be included in the process. EU-integrations should not be an area where only professionals are included. GROM shall monitor the conditions for approaching of Macedonian and the countries in the region towards the European Union and shall encourage researches, opinions and comments, as well as public debates and campaign for the relevant areas, so that citizens may directly become familiar with the challenges of the EU- integrations. GROM shall initiate support of the projects and initiatives at national and local level regarding the regional and European integration of the citizens’ organizations, economic chambers, trade unions and other stakeholders, as well as regarding the broader communication with the EU institutions, for example, via offices of various stakeholders in the EU-institutions. The consular services shall be GROM’s priority for protection of the Macedonian citizens. The person who addresses the Diplomatic and consular representative offices of the Republic of Macedonia for a service, expects short, clear and quick information and service from the representative office, and we shall ensure this. We shall introduce electronic and mobile consular services, by which we shall bring the services closer to the users. GROM shall re-affirm the cooperation for joint consular representation office with the friendly countries such as Slovenia or Croatia, in the countries where Macedonia has no embassies and consular representative offices. GROM shall open a constructive dialogue, a dialogue for equal and reciprocal principles with the countries that demand visa from the citizens of the Republic of Macedonia. We shall initiate conversations with USA regarding the participation in the so called VISA Waiver Program (VWP) for visa-free travelling in USA. GROM shall expand the cooperation with the diaspora and its organizations. GROM shall develop a program for a wider learning of the language, culture, folklore and the other elements of the parent country. At the same time, we shall raise interest at the diaspora for studying in the secondary schools and faculties in the Republic of Macedonia. The support of the companies of the foreign markets shall be conducted in cooperation with the economic chambers, as well as by improving the cooperation and coordination among the ministries for foreign affairs, economy, the Agency for foreign investments and the other entities involved in this process. We shall facilitate the process for granting visa for permanent residence in the Republic of Macedonia on all bases. As a first step, we shall make visa applications possible in all Diplomatic consular representation offices.
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GROM shall support the regional initiatives such as the Central European Initiative (CEI), South-East European Cooperation Process (SEECP), Council of Regional Cooperation (CRC), Central European Free Trade Agreement (CEFTA), as well as the European Common Aviation Area (ECAA). We shall speed up the process for becoming a member in the Adriatic – Ionian Initiative and the Danube strategy, by which we shall confirm the interest for regional cooperation. According to GROM, the cooperation in the region, in spite of the energetic area, must immediately be expanded in the transport area, with an agreement for establishment of a transport community. Among the first projects that GROM shall initiate, shall be the renewal of the border lines and the border markings with the neighbors. GROM shall make sure that Macedonian citizens are treated well at the border passages. GROM shall encourage regional cooperation for simplification of the border regimes, through cooperation with the countries in the region, from use of personal identification cards, through common border control, up to decisions for completely free communication. In that direction, GROM shall support the opening of more border passages with all neighbors. We shall seriously devote to the implementation of the arrangements for opening of new border passages, and at the same time, modernization of the existing ones. For GROM, good neighboring relations are not only obligation as part of EU integrations, but also a political, social and economic inevitability. GROM stands for concluding agreements for good neighboring relations, which shall regulate the inalterability of the borders, as well as the possible issues being a subject to different standpoints. In this regard, GROM stands for intensive communications at all levels. GROM shall support appropriate representation in the international organizations, such as UNDP, OBSE and the Council of Europe. The stated priorities of the foreign policy may be achieved only with professional and flexible diplomacy, nonparty, seriously selected and adequately trained diplomats. This shall be achieved by: increasing the number of professional heads of Diplomatic consular representative offices; provisions under the Law on External Affairs shall apply to all diplomats, without exception; the diplomats shall acquire titles that shall correspond to the years spent serving as diplomats; state secretary and state councilors in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs may become persons with at least one mandate in a Diplomatic consular representation office; the selection of diplomats shall be made according to the latest standards and practices, and it shall be transparent and planned several years in advance, for the purpose of timely and quality preparation.
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Results according to social groups The final result of GROM’s policy is life improvement for various social groups of citizens and their possibilities for development and prosperity. Extracts from parts of the Programme that refer to specific social groups are given hereunder.
Unemployment Decrease of the unemployment to 18% and increase of the employment to 54%. Implementation of active measures for employment. Increase of the annual coverage of unemployed persons with the actives measures for employment to 30% of the total number of employees, i.e. around 75.000 unemployed persons at annual level to use at least one employment measure. Encouraging the employment of the workers with insufficient qualifications, with analysis and review of the employment costs. Encouraging the employment in the passive mountain areas, by exempting them from contributions in a three-year period. Support of the life-long learning and acquiring new skills.
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Reorganization of the work of the Employment agency for the purpose of its active intermediation regarding the employment and reconciliation of the supply and demand on the labor market. Facilitating the entry on the labor market for the young population: development of the entrepreneurship, internship and support of the employment for the young population. Support for the employers in the provision of work positions intended for the young population, via subsidies for their employment in a definite period. Introduction of one-year mandatory internship: the companies shall be obligated to accept the interns. Encouraging the internship abroad, as a necessity for internationalization of the Macedonian economy. Financial support for the vocational cadre that is deficient on the market. More flexibility in the employment contracts. The persons who are unemployed for more than four years and the categories of unemployed persons over 35 years of age, shall be covered with various support measures: from re-qualification to further qualification, opening of public works, supporting the entrepreneurship and financial conveniences for their employment. Tax reliefs shall be introduced for employment of the older people. A strategy shall be prepared for the older people in the companies and their transition from work into retirement, and activities shall be undertaken for elimination of the forms of discrimination based on the age. Inclusion of the employers and trade unions, in a consultative process for all relevant laws and regulations.
Children and youth Healthcare protection without participation fee for children under the age of 14 and provision of funds and medicines for treatment of children with rare diseases. Expanding the system of kindergartens and increasing the number of children in the pre-school education.
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Further improvement of the quality of the primary and secondary education and improvement of the educational infrastructure. Improvement of the curricula held on foreign and regional languages, IT, math and natural sciences and financial literacy. Re-assessment of the curricula and books in terms of whether they are children- friendly. Optional physical education in the kindergartens, with a basic group of exercises for development of the basic motor skills at children between the age of four and six. New curricula for physical education in the schools, in accordance with the modern trends. Financing of the students’ sport and physical education courses in the higher education. Returning the safety into school and creating conditions for healthy pupils. Application of the “Halfway house” model for the children without parental care, upon reaching the age of 18. Reducing the number of youngsters who leave the primary and secondary education. Career counseling for youth in the early phases of the education. Encouraging the employment of the young population and facilitating their entry on the labour market. Internship and support of the employment of the young population (up to the age of 30).
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Support and subsidies for the employers who shall provide work positions intended for the young population. Promoting the culture in the schools. Strengthening the partnership among schools and the cultural institutions. Financial, organizational and spatial support and stimulation of the independent cultural scene and the culture of the young population.
Women Support of the entrepreneurship for the young women. Improvement of the women’s status in the public and private life. Budget allocation according to the sex – inclusion of the sex aspect in the national and local budgets. Improvement of the woman’s position in the family. Measures for protection of the women’s rights to labor relations – mothers, as well as expanded support for women in the care for the children and care for the home. Building a public model of a wife and a mother and a worker, and making efforts to expand the role of the husband in the parenting and the home. Guaranteeing the right on abortion. Free contraception for girls under the age of 18.
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Older and retired persons Providing an opportunity for early pension. Introduction of tax reliefs for employment of older persons. Preparation of a strategy for facilitating the problems of the older people in the companies and the transition from work into retirement. Activities for elimination of the forms of discrimination based on age. Improving the pension system and defining the lowest pension. Development of a system of services for supported living. Promotion of the principles of active aging: active participation in the everyday activates, better health, greater satisfaction from the work position, greater independence and greater inclusion as a citizen. Support and encouragement of the non-paid volunteering work in the citizens’ associations, as well as in the community, as guardians of other persons. Accessible and available transport for elderly people.
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Residents of the rural areas and farmers Reducing the gap in the quality of life, between the urban and rural life. Reducing the gap among Skopje and the regions in terms of wellbeing, improved rural living and developed agriculture by increasing the newly created value and new products. Access to quality public services, primarily the education and the healthcare. Development of the rural tourism and restoration of the authentic ambient. Preparation and realization of strategies for rural development of rural areas, implementation of the local development strategies and establishment of local action groups. Enhancement of the agriculture, increasing the newly created (added) value and development of new products. Increasing the volume of agro-production. Exemption from customs fees and free trade exchange for agro products.
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Cancellation of the income tax for the agricultural activity and its placement in the function of reinvestments. Decreasing the value added tax for the agricultural products. Legal arrangements for the payment of the purchased agro products. Planned and transparent allocation of state agricultural land. Further upgrade and maintenance of the irrigation and amelioration systems. The cancellation of the fee for irrigation and enabling free use of the water, financed from the budget. Increased support via subsidies in all areas and branches of primary agricultural producers and farmers. Support and strengthening of the capacities for more successful deployment of the EU assets and the other funds for rural and regional development. Intensifying the animal husbandry production and the development of the processing industry for meat and dairy products. Establishment of a permanent and efficient system for transfer of new technologies and knowledge in the agro sector. Transformation of the Agency for support in the agricultural development. Developing a strategy for export of the domestic agricultural and animal husbandry production. Associated farmers are strong farmers – enhancing the conditions for associating into farmers’ associations and greater support for such associations.
Urban areas Increasing the funds for the municipalities by ten percent of GDP, and increasing the municipalities’ source revenues by a half of the total revenues.
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Increasing the competences of the municipalities in the local economic development, in the urbanism and the property-rights affairs, in the social works, in the healthcare sector, as well as in the safety. Increasing the competences regarding the safety, i.e. (the uniformed part) of the police. Establishment of separate municipal policies, with a limited competence in the crime prevention and securing the public order and peace.
Private sector
Equal treatment for the foreign and domestic investors. Encouraging and supporting an entrepreneurial culture since the pre-school age and its promotion in the primary and secondary education. Building public awareness, with a high work ethics and entrepreneurship. More entrepreneurial activities – support measures for starting a business (start-up), for business development services, as well as lowering the costs for operation of the SMEs. Guaranteeing the right on ownership as a fundamental value and as a key factor that the investments and the running of the business are safe. Financial support for development of new products and for implementation of new technologies.
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Measures for improving the access towards the financial services and increasing the crediting of the private business. Support of the measures for crediting of the private sector; subsidizing the interest rates; support of the new financial products; enhanced electronic banking and lowering the costs of the financial transactions; liberal foreign-currency operations; measures for cheaper international payments. Preferential treatment of SMEs, especially SMEs established by young people, women and vulnerable groups.
Marginalized groups
Non-discrimination must be established in all areas and be applied to all citizens in Macedonia Promotion of the social economy as a possibility for employment of persons who can be hardly employed on the labor market. Prevention of the discrimination by building public awareness for the vulnerable groups, improving the educational curricula, as well as prevention of the prejudices and stereotypes. Improving the legislation, including the Law on Prevention and Protection against Discrimination, by its harmonization with the European directives, including explicit inclusion of the sexual orientation as a basis for discrimination.
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Strengthening the legal and financial framework of the Commission for protection against discrimination, as well as the Ombudsman. Implementation of the convention for the disabled persons. Special measures for greater Roma inclusion and the members of the other ethnic communities in the preschool and the education system.
Ethnic communities
Strong commitment towards reflection of the multi-culture in the public life, equality among different cultures and a strategy for joint future. Education development in the spirit of the multicultural society. Building public awareness for acceptance of the multiculture, as an advantage, not as a problem. GROM recognizes, values and respects all identities and cultures, ethnic groups, religious communities, languages, their symbols, holydays and customs. GROM has an objective to contribute in the direction of reaching equality among cultures. Development of the multiculture at local level. Better reflection of the identities and cultures with fewer members. Building of a suitable environment for reflection of the multi-religious character of the society.
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Civil society
For GROM, the civil society is a partner, not a rival or an enemy. Participation of the citizens in the creation of the public policies, in the monitoring of their implementation, as well as in their appraisal. Nourishing a culture that provides space for critics-oriented civil organizations, trade unions, chambers. Developing a suitable environment for the civil society, with application of strategies for cooperation with the civil sector at national and local level. Support of the financial sustainability of the civil society, with direct financial support from the national and local budget at mid-term level, and with indirect, tax-related measures for encouragement of the financial support from citizens and businesses, at long-term level. Partner relationship with the employers’ organizations, trade unions and chambers, as crucial players in the building of the functional market economy. Transfer of competences for certain public services to the economic chambers, as well as strengthening their presence in the region, EU, and at global level. Support of projects and initiatives at national and local level for regional and European integration of the citizens’ organizations, economic chambers and trade unions and other stakeholders. Creating conditions for development of patients’ associations, healthcare associations, associations of doctors – specialists, as well as trade unions. 88
Creating conditions for association of educators and principals, and their associations and trade unions. Associations and trade unions of pupils and students – partners in the development of the education. Creating conditions for development of craftsmen’s and cultural associations. Associated farmers are strong farmers – improving the conditions for associating into farmers’ associations and increased support for such associations.
Public administration
Reaching the European standard in the services provided for the citizens Determining the number of the administration – GROM shall insist on complete transparency regarding this issue. Smaller in size, more effective and better paid administration. Establishment of a merit system for professional and responsible administration. Party- independent institutions responsible for preserving the public order, peace and defense of the country, as well as establishing standards for employment in these institutions. Strengthening the awareness of the administration as a citizens’ service, assessment from the citizens and management with the appeals and complaints system. Establishing new standards for the functioning of these institutions, meanwhile paying particular attention to the personnel policy with employment and promotion of the competent personnel. Continuing the reforms in the police, primarily strengthening the internal control and the independent supervision, GROM shall contribute towards more effective police, a police that shall enjoy greater respect, credibility and trust.
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Decentralization of the social protection: transfer of responsibilities and provision of financing sources intended for the social services. Integration of multiple institutions into one state institution for human rights protection and protection against discrimination. Opening a discussion on the efficiency and effectiveness of the government organization, on the possibilities for integration of institutions with overlapping competences. Improving the conditions for work of the educators, and enabling them more time for work with pupils. Introduction of a merit system in the management of the healthcare institutions. Rationalization of the public healthcare system, with reduction of the administration and the non-medical personnel. Improvement of the system of salaries and promotion of the continuous education of the healthcare workers. Appraisal of the system of salaries according to labor output, as well as increasing the value of the “point per capita� for the primary care physicians, gynecologists and dentists and introduction of a multi-degree value of the point in relation to the geographical characteristic of the area (physicians in the rural areas) and the size of the place. Non-party, seriously selected and adequately trained diplomats for professional and flexible diplomacy. Raising the number of professional heads of diplomatic and consular representation offices and consistent application of the Law on Foreign Affairs. State secretary and state councilors in the Ministry of External Affairs can be persons who had least one mandate in a diplomatic and consular representation office. Selection of diplomats according to the latest standards and practices, transparent and planned several years in advance, for the purpose of timely and quality preparation.
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Храбро за Македонију
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