Trade turnover is declining. With calculated inflation, the decline in December 2022 compared to the same month of 2021 is reduced by 0,8 percent, and only food turnover by 5,1 percent. These data are a reflection of the declining standard of living of the population, but it also shows that the entire trade sector, where 30 percent of all business entities in the country are located, is under attack.

The President of the Chamber of Commerce at the Union of Chambers of Commerce - Sašo Dukoski, in a conversation with "Utrinski pečet" says that several factors affect the reduced turnover.

- Unfortunately, the number of the population varies, decreases. In my opinion, the way in which information is communicated to the public has a very big influence, so citizens are reserved in terms of spending money. In 2022, you cannot isolate a period of 30 days without some kind of information pressure on the citizens - whether it is information about the war in Ukraine that is happening and which started last year, information about dealing with the end of the pandemic, pressure through information about the lack of some basic food products, so information from the monetary policy - means a series of events that affect the normal conduct of business, and this is reflected where citizens are most active, in trade - says Dukoski.

Dukoski says that policies should be built that will not be based only on the survival of companies but on their growth and development, because we are losing step with the region and the world. As one of the key issues that the state should focus on, according to Dukoski, is gray and black trade, in every segment, from non-issuance of fiscal accounts to undeclared workers. He also says that there is too much generalization in the work behavior of employers.

- I will ask this question again: How many employers violated the laws, rules and regulations? It is the same as a few years ago, when an entire subsidy program was suspended for a long time because an irregularity was found in one entity. If we want to be honest, we should cut back on populism and be correct. If there are entities that do not respect working hours, safety at work and a number of other legal obligations, we should focus on them and not generate. We should focus on reducing the gray and black economy, instead of making new regulations on regulations in sight and thus hitting employers who for the most part work honestly, apart from isolated exceptions. Thus, more money will be obtained in the country, where new taxes will be introduced and the tax base will be expanded. This will create better conditions for the workers - says Dukoski.

Watch the entire VIDEO-INTERVIEW below: