The Government will provide grants in the amount of MKD 201,000 (EUR 3,250) to 400 new start-up companies within the Operational Plan for active employment measures.

"The Government is active in overcoming one of the country's biggest problems - unemployment - through active support and offering a broad range of opportunities. One of them is the Self-Employment Programme, which has resulted in the opening of 6,775 businesses and similar number of jobs since 2007. Today marks the beginning of the programme's second cycle, including grants to 400 unemployed individuals who want to start a business", said Vice Premier for Economic Affairs Vladimir Pesevski at Monday's press conference.

The Government has provided MKD 202 million (EUR 3,27 million) for the Self-Employment Programme in 2015, projected to encompass 960 unemployed persons.

Minister of Labor and Social Policy Dime Spasov stressed the Operational Employment Plan gives opportunities to unemployed persons to create their own future.

"Over 70 percent of the established businesses are still active. Over 35 percent of owners are women, while 31 percent are young entrepreneurs up to the age of 29", said Spasov.

According to him, the programme aims at supporting unemployed individuals into opening their own company, legalizing an already existing activity, as well as creating additional jobs.