The Bureau

From 1974 to 1994, the law was valid for the Republican Fund for lending for the fastest development of areas with economically not developed needs. The institution through which the tools were distributed was the republican credit fund for the fastest development of economically less developed areas.

Since 01.01.1994, the soaping of the Republican Fund was stopped, and the Agency for the Development of Economically Underdeveloped Areas began.

Since 2000, the legal successor of this Agency is the Bureau for Development of Economically Underdeveloped Areas.

Since 01.01.2008, the legal heir is the Bureau for Regional Development, a body of the Ministry of Local Self-Government with the quality of a separate legal entity.

 Goals and priorities

  1. Equal and consistent development in the entire territory of the Republic of North Macedonia developed on the basis of the polycentric model;
  2. The reduction of disparities in the areas of plan-regions by increasing the quality of life of all citizens;
  3. Preservation and development of the identity in particular of the planned regions, as well as their affirmation;
  4. Increasing the competitiveness of plan-regions through increasing innovations, optimal use of natural assets, human and economic capital;
  5. Revitalization of villages and development of areas with specific development needs;
  6. Inter-municipal and cross-border support and cooperation for promoting equitable regional development.

 The Bureau performs the following tasks:

  1. Prepare basic analytical documents for the creation of planned strategic and operational documents for regional development;
  2. Compiles proposal - methodology for the preparation of planned documents;
  3. Prepare an annual report on the implementation of the strategic Shareholder plan;
  1. Compiles proposal-decisions for the criteria and indicators for the identification of areas with special development needs;
  2. Compiles proposal lists of areas with special development needs;
  3. Compiles proposals - criteria for the level of development of local self-government units and regions;
  4. Compiles proposal-acts for the classification of local self-government units and planned regions according to the level of development;
  5. Provides professional assistance to centers for the development of planned regions during the preparation of programs for the development of planned regions and the performance of other activities related to regional development;
  6. Informs interested parties about the types and volume of tools and instruments for promoting regional development;
  7. Establishes and takes care of the information system for equal regional development in cooperation with the State Statistical Entity;
  8. Performs other work in the field of regional development certified by law.

Sources for financing regional development:

  • The budget of the Republic of North Macedonia (1% GDP);
  • Budgets of local self-government units;
  • European Union Funds;
  • Other international sources;
  • Donations and sponsorships from natural and legal persons.