The second quarterly report was prepared for monitoring the implementation of the recommendations prepared by Transparency International Macedonia for public institutions to overcome the risks of corruption in these areas.

Transparency International Macedonia said that the report was prepared in the period from April to June within the framework of their project “Assessment of vulnerability to corruption in state institutions and local authorities for spatial planning, urbanism and construction”.

The research showed that the interest of the institutions in fulfilling the recommendations is still at a low level, but that there is an increased activity of the local and executive authorities in order to implement the recommendations. Through meetings with representatives of the local government, the Anti-Corruption Commission and the Ministry of Transport and Communications, the starting points for overcoming the risks of corruption were established in the following areas: Establishing communication and cooperation between the Ministry of Transport and Communications, the Anti-Corruption Commission, Transparency International – Macedonia, Spatial Planning Agency through direct meetings, appointment of persons for communication and responsible for gathering information, involvement of municipalities and obligation to monitor progress in fulfilling the recommendations, as well as more trainings for the municipalities regarding the changes in the laws, and the reports to be actively used in the anti-corruption inspection of the legislation (APL) and to be regularly submitted to the relevant ministries and to the Government, informs Transparency International – Macedonia.

It also points out that the large discretionary powers of the local government, the lack of well-formulated legal provisions, the conflict of legal provisions as well as the different interpretation of legal norms on the one hand, but also the frequent changes of laws on the other hand, create the risk of increasing corruption.

In this direction, strengthened cooperation and coordination between the Ministry of Transport and Communications, the local government, the Community of Local Self-Government Units and the Anti-Corruption Commission is needed to overcome the risks of corruption and to find coordinated solutions for the implementation of the recommendations. Transparency International Macedonia remains open for support and cooperation with the institutions in order to overcome the risks of corruption in these areas, reads the statement.