3.29 Blagoevgrad 2023, Инвестиционен анализ

In the municipality of Blagoevgrad, a relatively favorable environment for business development and investment attraction is provided, and positive development trends are observed in the second half of 2023. In September 2023, a public presentation of the actions of the local authorities to create two industrial zones – “Zeleni Dol” Industrial Zone and Technology Park in “Macedonia” Park was realized. A project of the two zones is presented to the public, which should realize the potential of the favorable geographical location of the municipality and develop the conditions for attracting investments.
The municipal administration is the main institutional pillar in the municipality. It has a built-in capacity to provide administrative services for businesses. In the past year, measures have been taken to increase publicity about the actions of local authorities by creating a new modernized website. The site provides basic information about business activities, and in the “Economy” section basic information is published about the sectors that are significant for the region – agriculture, tourism, construction. There is no information on the site regarding the possibilities of supporting start-up businesses, including in the field of innovation. Separate elements of information regarding public investments of the municipality are published in the construction section. Actions have been taken to create a specialized website Invest Blagoevgrad.
The mayor’s team and the Municipal Council are making efforts to attract investments and additional funds for the development of the municipality. After updating the Investment Promotion Ordinance in 2022, in 2023 the Municipal Council turned its attention to continuing investment attraction activities. The local executive power in the person of the mayor and the municipal administration are making efforts to develop the Invest Blagoevgrad site. Deficits in the work of the mayor’s team are established in the implementation of effective control over service providers and other contractors of contracts for municipal projects.
Local businesses take a more passive approach to being able to participate in the discussion of regulations regarding economic activity in the community. Contributing to this is the fact that until now the rules of the consultative process have not been sufficiently clearly established by the institutions of local government and local self-government. The topics of business ethics, participation and support of anti-corruption initiatives are not the focus of attention of local business organizations and companies.
The contribution of the structures of the civil society (media and civil organizations) is relatively limited for the implementation of public control over the institutions, respectively for the creation of an environment favorable to investments and fair competition between economic subjects.