Sashko Samardjioski, General Manager of Prilepska Pivarnica, highlighted several key issues affecting the Macedonian economy in the latest episode of the podcast Business Club with Branko Azeski. According to Samardjioski, three fundamental areas should be strategic priorities for any country aiming to achieve economic progress: education, the legal system, and the healthcare system.

"The three most important areas that need to be established as a foundation for a country’s progress are education, the legal system, and the healthcare system. Without properly setting up these segments, significant progress cannot be achieved in the short term," Samardjioski stated. He added that if these systems do not function as they should, there will be shortages in skilled labor, healthcare services, and efficiency, all of which will impact the overall development of the country.

He expressed concern about the country's uncompetitive and underprepared workforce, which he attributed, among other factors, to an inadequate education system. Samardjioski emphasized the importance of having a strategy and maintaining continuity, noting that short-term fixes and frequent changes in strategies every two years lead nowhere.

"Foreign investors come seeking skilled workers, but we don’t have such a workforce, nor will we in the near future, because we have created chaos in the education system. We lacked a national strategy for education, and as a result, we are employing people with diplomas who essentially start learning from scratch once they join companies," Samardjioski explained.

In the podcast, Samardjioski also shared personal insights, including legacies from his father, his education abroad, hobbies, managing the business, and his passion for travel.

In addition to his professional role at the brewery, Samardjioski serves in several other capacities. He is the President of the Industrial Chamber of Commerce, part of the Macedonian Chamber of Commerce; Vice President of the Economic Council of the Municipality of Prilep; a member of the Second Instance State Commission for Handling Complaints from the State Election Commission, Macedonia; a member of the Supervisory Committee at Pakomak (a company managing packaging waste); and a board member of the Economic Chamber of North Macedonia.