The USAID Project on developing small businesses

On the 17th of May 2013, Friday, at 12.00 o’clock, , the USAID Project on developing small businesses, the National Park Mavrovo and the Municipality of Mavrovo and Rostusha signed a Memorandum of Understanding in the premises of the National Park Mavrovo.

This Memorandum of Understanding puts the cooperation among the three signatory parties in a formal framework regulating their activities in the field of collection of other forest plants i.e. the collection of curing herbs and mushrooms at the territory of the National Park Mavrovo. The Memorandum was signed on behalf of Mr. Karl Larkins, Director of the Project on developing small businesses, Mr. Mukrem Mehmedi, Mayor of the Municipality of Mavrovo and Rostusha and Mr. Oner Jakuposki, Director of the National Park Mavrovo.

The cooperation among the signatory parties shall include technical assistance provided on the part of the Project, the assistance being for the purpose of preparing Rulebooks which shall define the way the medical herbs and the mushrooms shall be collected and used, the process of issuing license for this activity as well as the training intended for those who shall be interested in undertaking it.

The Memorandum stipulates that 4 new repurchase centers shall be opened at the territory of the National Park Mavrovo, that there shall be provided all the equipment necessary for the successful operation of these repurchase centers and for the successful realization of the collection of herbs and mushrooms. The Memorandum defines the economic performance as well.

The aim of this cooperation is to boost the local economic development by organizing and regulating the process of collecting other forest plants, that shall further result in opening new seasonal jobs for the local inhabitants and shall generate more stable incomes. At the same time, the training how to collect herbs and mushrooms in the right way in itself contributes for the nature preservation and protection, which shall further result in this activity becoming a sustainable one.

The USAID project on development of small businesses is a project that has been implemented in the regions of Polog and Pelagonija with an overall purpose of booting the creation of new jobs, and the economic development at a regional level as well. The Project creates partnerships between the public and the private sector at local and regional level and it aims at producing initiatives that shall help the micro, the small and the medium enterprises in their development. The initiative “Grow more corn” is supported by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water-supply, the Agency for Agricultural Development and the Center for developing the Polog Plan Region.

The American people, through USAID, so far has invested over 500 million dollars in Macedonia for the purpose of providing support for creation of new jobs, enhancing the democratic institutions’ capacity and practices, improving the integrated education and preparing the students to enter the labor market successfully.  These initiatives improve the quality of life, and also support the transition of the Republic of Macedonia towards a stable and prosperous democracy. USAID provides economic and humanitarian aid in over 100 countries all over the worls. For more info go at www.macedonia.usaid.gov