The promised 12 million euro from Motherson blown by the wind from Bunardjik

The Indian company Motherson Group formalized the entry on the Macedonian market by setting a foundation stone in the Technological Industrial Zone Skopje 1 today.

The investment, worth 12 million euro, ought to secure 140 new vacancies. The plan is to build two production plants on 2.7 hectares of surface, which will manufacture side view mirror parts, i.e. one plant will manufacture the tin parts and the other will manufacture the mirrors. The entire production is planned for the European car manufacturers, which will receive the side view mirrors that will be previously assembled in the group’s plant in Hungary.

The new plants will be constructed within a year, i.e. until August next year.

The Prime Minister, Nikola Gruevski, who attended the foundation stone ceremony, stated that Macedonia is proud to welcome a giant such as the Motherson Group, which has its plants in around 30 countries in the world, and has achieved success wherever it’s present. (Deadline: August 2012)

EXPLANATION

On 31 August 2011, a foundation stone was set in the Bunardjik zone i.e. the Technological Industrial Development Zone Skopje 1, for, as said then, two plants of the Motherson Group, which would manufacture side view mirrors that would be later sold to the European car manufacturers. As the government’s website informs (see the quote above), it is an investment worth 12 million euro.

Due to the fact that many articles, authored by numerous media concerning this event, which were “archived” in the news aggregators are now unavailable, whilst searching what did the Prime Minister announce on that occasion, we stumbled upon a quote in an article by Faktor published on 22 March 2013 stating that the investment is not completed.

During the first phase, the investment will be worth 12 million euro, and the two plants will open space for 140 new employments. In the conversations I had with the company’s owner, I was told that they have interest in building other capacities in Macedonia”, stated the Prime Minister, Nikola Gruevski, on 31 August 2011.

As we can see, the investment did not see the light the light of the day, i.e. the company did not invest in Macedonia at all, therefore the promise for an investment worth 12 million euro and for employing 140 people, as Gruevski stated, is unfulfilled.

We can also check whether Motherson has built plants in Bunardjik by visiting the Directorate for Technological Industrial Development Zone’s website. This company is not a part of the Our Tenants section. Besides, Faktor’s article, providing Gruevski’s aforesaid quote, precisely states the unrealized investment.

But, the Motherson case does not end here. Namely, on 21 March 2014 and on 13 November last year, the opposition party SDSM accused that the government awarded subsidies to Motherson.

Having in mind everything stated above, the promise of Gruevski and the government for €12 million investment is unfulfilled.

SOURCES

• (31 August 2011) Government of RM’s website – Индиската „Мадерсон груп“ влегува на македонскиот пазар [Accessed on 07 September 2016]
• Time.mk – Индиската „Мадерсон груп“ Ќе гради две фабрики во Бунарџик [Accessed on 07 September 2016]
• (22 August 2013) Faktor – Предизборна кампања и се е можно, па дури и рекламирање на непостоечка фабрика! [Accessed on 07 September 2016]
• Directorate for Technological Industrial Development Zone’s website – Корисници [Accessed on 07 September 2016]
• (21 March 2014) 24 Vesti – „Мадерсон Груп“ ги судри власта и опозицијата [Accessed on 07 September 2016]
• (13 November 2015) А1on – СДСМ: Груевски ги расфрла парите на граѓаните за непостоечки инвестиции [Accessed on 07 September 2016]

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