ANALYSIS
Meet AmCham Board Member,
Emre Kozlu
EM: Congratulations on your election this past
fall to the AmCham Macedonia Board of
Directors. What would you like to achieve
in this position over the next few years?
Kozlu: Thank you. It is definitely a great honor for
me to be in the Board of AmCham Macedonia. I am a
firm believer in the important role of business associations for the economic development and progress
of countries. My main objective is to help AmCham
further enhance its advocacy capacity, becoming an
effective platform for constructive dialogue between
the business community and public authorities. This
is important not only for the private sector but also
for the State and the general public, since the outcome of such dialogue can bring different perspectives into many difficult issues in a way to benefit all.
EM: You worked for Philip Morris Sabancı
in Turkey for a number of years before
coming to Macedonia; what have been
your initial impressions of the business
environment here?
Kozlu: I should say that I am positively surprised by
the opportunities that the country offers investors,
be it big or small. First, there is real will and focus by
the Government to attract investment to the country. This is evident from the various reforms undertaken and incentives provided to businesses and
prospective investors. In addition, the Macedonian
Government has demonstrated clear determination to attract investments by providing a predictable business environment, which gives a solid basis
for confidence. On the other hand, prospects of
EU membership act as a strong anchor promoting
important reforms. As a result, it is no surprise that
Macedonia is continuously improving its ranking as
an attractive investment destination, not only in the
region but also in the world. Are there any needs for
improvement? Yes, definitely, there are. Yet, I am
confident that they can be easily sorted out with collective efforts of all parties. Overall, I can comfortably
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say that Macedonia is a good place to do business,
thanks to the efforts of the Government and State
authorities.
EM: Tell us something about your experience
cooperating with AmCham Turkey. What is
the state of business-government dialogue
there?
Kozlu: There are two independent AmChams in Turkey, both striving to improve the business-government dialogue. Within the last decade Turkey has
become a shining star in terms of economic growth.
This was due to various factors, including but not limited to government reforms, the young and growing
Emerging Macedonia Winter 2015 Issue 44