Crown Agents Macedonia hosted a cocktail reception in Macedonia's Capital, Skopje on 24th September to recognise the completion of the first phase of a project with the Macedonian Finance Ministry to enhance the effectiveness of the country's customs administration.
The reception was attended by distinguished representatives from institutions such as the Customs Administration Republic of Macedonia (CARM), the British Embassy in Macedonia, the European Union (EU) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The evening highlighted how Crown Agents has developed a strong relationship with CARM, which has benefited from the significant impact and progress of the first phase of this project.
During the ceremony, Mr Vanco Kargov, Director of CARM, expressed his gratitude to Crown Agents' representative, Ms Ema Apostoloska and to Crown Agents' Team Leader, Mr Frank Ferguson for the remarkable results achieved through Crown Agents' work with CARM. Mr Kargov commented "The end of the first phase of this project does not mean that the co-operation between Crown Agents and CARM will come to an end. Efforts have been made to overcome the current challenges imposed by the economic crisis and I hope for a continuation of this co-operation with Crown Agents."
The success of the project has also been recognised by international institutions including the World Customs Organisation and the EU. In Macedonia the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance, Mr Zoran Savrevski commended the project in written correspondence to Crown Agents highlighting that the project has resulted in measurable results in the fight against corruption and customs fraud. He also stressed that CARM's reputation both domestically to the general public and internationally had improved significantly.