Public powers of chambers of commerce are key to a more stable and predictable business environment

Strengthening the role of chambers of commerce through public powers is key to a more stable and predictable economic environment, but that process must be accompanied by institutional trust and constant improvement of capacities, it was said from the regional round table “Public powers of chambers of commerce” organized by the Chamber of Commerce of Montenegro within the framework of the chairmanship of the Association of Balkan Chambers of Commerce.

The goal was to exchange experiences and good practices in the field of public powers entrusted to chambers of commerce by national institutions, as well as to identify common challenges and opportunities for improving the role of chambers in the modern economic environment.

The president of PKCG, Dr. Nina Drakić, said that chambers of commerce have been an indispensable part of economic systems for decades, and their role became more and more important in the process of economic development, encouraging investments and improving the business environment. However, what makes this role even more important are the public powers entrusted to chambers through legal and by-laws.

-Public powers represent specific competences that chambers of commerce exercise on behalf of the state, but also in the interest of business entities. They are a confirmation of the trust that society has in chambers as institutions that are not only a service for entrepreneurs, but also a partner to state authorities in the implementation of certain administrative and regulatory functions. Such a role of chambers requires a high level of responsibility, transparency and expertise – said Drakić.

She points out that public powers are not just administrative duties – they are a bridge that connects the interests of different actors, ensures the legality of business operations and contributes to the stability and predictability of the business environment. This is the reason why chambers continuously strengthen capacities, improve procedures and digitize services, in order to respond to modern challenges and needs of businessmen.

– Cooperation with state institutions is crucial for the effective implementation of public powers. Only through partnership and open dialogue can we create an environment in which the economy will have the conditions for development and innovation, and the state will have the tools for effective control and support – said Drakić.

Irena Vućić Popović, Deputy General Secretary of the Government of Montenegro, pointed out that chambers of commerce, as institutions with a long tradition, not only in our country, represent a bridge between the state administration and the business community.

-The role of chambers of commerce is not only consultative and representative – but also functional, especially when we talk about the public powers that are entrusted to them with the aim of more efficient functioning of the market economy. It is precisely the granting of public powers – whether it is about issuing certificates, keeping registers, conducting expert examinations, or giving opinions in the legislative process – that represents an example of functional decentralization and building a partnership relationship between the state and business entities. In this way, the system becomes more agile, professional and closer to the real needs of the market. The Chamber of Commerce of Montenegro has been successfully and professionally implementing entrusted public powers for many years, thereby confirming its institutional maturity and ability to be a reliable partner to the state and the economy – said Vućić Popović.

According to her, the Government of Montenegro, as a partner to the business community, is committed to modernizing the institutional framework, strengthening legal certainty and improving the environment for investments and entrepreneurship. – In this sense, we are open to dialogue on the improvement of the legal framework that regulates the public powers of chambers of commerce – with the aim of greater transparency, responsibility and efficiency – she said.

The representative of the Croatian Chamber of Commerce, Marina Rožić, emphasized the importance of public powers as a bridge between companies – members of the Chamber – and state institutions, stressing that precisely these powers enable more efficient action in the interest of the economy.

– Public authorities represent one third of all our services. These are specific competences that enable direct support to the economy, but also ensure compliance with EU legislation and standards – said Rožić.

In particular, it singled out the issuing of certificates of origin of goods and CEMT permits, as well as authorizations in the real estate sector – organization of exams for agents, management of directories and registers of properties in bankruptcy. Rožić also highlighted the Digital Chamber platform, which provides companies with access to all services in one place and enables digital submission of requests.

Marko Šantić, Chamber of Commerce of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, emphasized the need to strengthen institutional trust:

– Chambers should be enabled to operationally carry out the procedures entrusted to them, while the state would retain the role of supervision and monitoring – he said, especially referring to real estate transactions and the new law by which the Chamber was authorized to conduct professional exams for agents.

Šantić emphasized the importance of continuous education of members of management boards and expert bodies, as a basis for responsible and professional management.

Mirko Bošković, Chamber of Foreign Trade of Bosnia and Herzegovina, spoke about concrete results, pointing out that more than 240,000 requests from business entities were processed in the previous year, with the rule that each request should be resolved within 48 hours.

– We are proud to have established the practice of quickly resolving requests, which contributes to transparency and trust in the chamber system – emphasized Bošković.

He added that in the field of real estate, the Chamber is in charge of appointing agents and conducting professional examinations, through which more than 500 agents have passed so far. He also emphasized the importance of public authority for mediating the employment of workers abroad.

Igor Tasevski, representative of the Chamber of Commerce of North Macedonia, spoke about the active role of the Chamber in promoting the domestic economy abroad and involving companies in international supply chains.

– The Chamber provides analytical and informational support to companies, participates in the drafting of laws and encourages export activity – all with the aim of strengthening the competitiveness of our economy – said Tasevski.

He also emphasized the modernization of the procedure for issuing ATA carnets, which will be in use in paper form until 2027, but additional security features and new software have already been introduced to make the system more reliable and efficient.

Mitar Bajčeta, Secretary General of the Chamber of Commerce of Montenegro, emphasized the long-standing role of the Chamber as a partner of the Government in the implementation of public powers.

– Businessmen often point out that it is easier for them to negotiate with state institutions through the Chamber than directly – precisely because it is easier to reach a solution through the Chamber’s dialogue – said Bajčeta.

He singled out the ATA carnet, which the Chamber has been issuing since 2008, and announced the completion of the development of the E-chamber’s digital platform, which will speed up the processing of applications for various services. He also spoke about the important role of the Chamber in the transport sector, including participation in determining driving schedules, and the activities of the Road Traffic Education Center, through which over 4,000 drivers have been trained.