The Institute for Strategic Research and Education - ISIE conducted a study on the impact of the Law on craftsmanship within the six-month project "Through impact assessment of the craft industry regulation to the improvement of the business climate". The research covered several target groups: craftsmen, craftsmen chambers, competent state authorities, and the wider public.
The study describes current trends in the development of handicrafts, provides a comparative legal analysis of craft-related legislation at national and international level, as well as defines the results and conclusions from the empirical research.
These activities are implemented as part of the project "Strengthening the capacities and mechanisms for supporting the Chapter 20 reform process (YESNetwork +)" funded by the European Union through the IPA Program for Civil Society Facility and Media Programme 2015.
The project aims to improve the business environment for creating new businesses in Macedonia in the craft industry through analysis of the impact of the regulation in this area:
- Identification and measurement of the effects of the implementation of the Law on Crafts, with a special focus on the direct and indirect costs and benefits that this regulation causes, relating primarily to the financial and material work of craftmen, public finances, competitiveness and entrepreneurship, impact on regional development and environmental impact assessment.
- Strengthening the capacities of the craft industry to produce concrete recommendations based on evidence for the improvement of the legal framework governing craftsmanship, with a special focus on the new Law on Crafts of 2015, as well as other related laws and legal acts.
- Encourage public debate on the need for involvement of all stakeholders in the adoption of public policies, as well as the need for constant re-evaluation of policies and their correction, in accordance with the impact they have on stakeholders.
- Improvement of the business environment by informing the general public about the challenges that exist in the implementation of the Law on Crafts.
The Institute for Strategic Research and Education - ISIE through the empirical research conducted (survey, focus groups, round tables) on the impact of the Law on Crafts, states that there is a lack of information of the craftsmen on legal regulations and that a craftsman's register is needed in order to determine the exact number of craftsmen. A change in tax policy is needed, taxes are a major burden for craftsmen, and Macedonia from all countries in the region has the lowest threshold for entry into VAT.
The results of the study also point to the need to prepare a new system of subsidization that will be directed towards the various needs of the craftsmen depending on their type and size, and especially for subsidizing apprentices and craftsmen who engage apprentices. Also, it is necessary to take decisive measures for the implementation of the Law on Prohibition and Prevention of Unregistered Activities in order to reduce the unfair competition among the craftsmen.