Measures for speedy, sustainable economic growth, support of small, medium enterprises and timely servicing of state debt to companies are key demands the business community has presented to the government on Friday.

At a working breakfast with representatives of the government's economic team, businessmen said they had optimistic expectations for the next year.

"We have asked the government to apply measures that are going to contribute to speedy, sustainable economic growth," said Zlatko Kalenikov, Chairman of the Association of Economic Chambers of  Macedonia (SSK).

Macedonia has great potential for prospect, so it needs measures that will bring swift and favorable effects for the development of small, medium enterprises, he said.

SSK says the cooperation with the government has been satisfactory, praising its efforts to visit over 100 companies for the last two years, thus contributing to resolving of many problems in terms of investment loans and construction licenses.

The business community also welcomes the government's efforts to service its debt to companies.

The government will keep nourishing its cooperation with the business community, considering SSK as excellent partner, Vice-Premier for Economic Affairs Vladimir Pesevski said.

"The quality of SSK suggestions have been gaining in quality for the last two years. They are based on serious, comparative analyses with other countries, being of great assistance to the government to quickly implement them by amending laws or applying other mechanisms at its disposal. In this respect, I expect for the cooperation to become more intensive in the upcoming period," Pesevski said.

The debt crisis' effects are becoming tangible in Macedonia, so the country will have to adapt to the new circumstances, Pesevski said.

"But the general picture - the budget status and realization of projects - gives us ground for modest optimism. The government will do everything in its power to mitigate the negative effects," Pesevski said.