The National Bank of the Republic of North Macedonia, in cooperation with the Chamber of Commerce of the Republic of North Macedonia, organised a workshop for the business community on the new conditions and practical execution of cross-border euro payments and the benefits of the country’s membership in the Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA). More than 60 companies, mainly from the export-import sector, attended the first event of its kind aimed at businesses. The workshop covered operational aspects of using SEPA and included direct discussion with companies to exchange experiences and identify challenges in using the services. Participants highlighted that SEPA enables faster, cheaper and more transparent euro payments with predictable costs and simplified procedures, with companies facing on average eight times lower fees for outgoing payments and three times lower fees for incoming payments of EUR 20,000 compared with SWIFT/correspondent transfers; this was presented as delivering annual savings from hundreds to thousands of euros for firms trading with counterparties across SEPA’s 40 countries. The National Bank indicated it will continue similar initiatives with business chambers, banks and companies to support uptake of SEPA services and deepen integration into the European payments area.
National Bank of the Republic of North Macedonia 2026-01-29
National Bank of the Republic of North Macedonia holds first business workshop on SEPA cross-border euro payments
The National Bank of the Republic of North Macedonia, in collaboration with the Chamber of Commerce, held a workshop on cross-border euro payments and SEPA membership benefits. Over 60 companies attended, discussing operational aspects and challenges, noting SEPA's cost efficiency compared to SWIFT. The National Bank plans further initiatives to promote SEPA service adoption and integration.