ANALYZING THE VARIABLES THAT INFLUENCE ACCESS TO BANK FINANCING FOR SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES IN KOSOVO AND NORTH MACEDONIA

This study aims to analyze variables that influence access to bank loans by SMEs in Kosovo and North Macedonia. Research methodology is compound by primary and secondary data. We hypothesized that the age of the SMEs, business size, written business plan, collateral type, and business experience before starting as an owner, owner education, and owner gender influence access to bank loans for SMEs. Econometric model results revealed that age of the SMEs, business size, and written business plan has a significant influence on bank loans borrowed by SMEs, while, collateral type, business experience before starting as an owner, owner level of education, and owner gender have no significant influence on bank loans borrowed by SMEs in the Republic of Kosovo. Furthermore, from the results obtained we revealed that age of the SMEs, business size, written business plan, and owners’ level of education has a significant influence on bank loan borrowed by SMEs, whereas, collateral type, business experience before starting as owner and owners gender have no significant influence on bank loans borrowed by SMEs in the Republic of North Macedonia. The findings suggest some future lines of research at the end and provide recommendations for the main stakeholders of this field of study

DAF Determinants Affecting Economic Growth – Evidence for Western Balkans Countries

The purpose of this paper is to find out if selected determinants have any effect on the economic growth rate using the strong balanced panel data for the Western Balkan countries for the period 2001-2017, and the data used are on an annual basis, which in total there are 102 observation periods. For the realization of the paper, secondary data and an advanced dynamic approach were used, such as pooled OLS methods, fixed and random effects model, to test economic growth rate as dependent variable, and explanatory variables such as working remittances to GDP, exports to GDP, imports to GDP, foreign direct investment to GDP and inflation rate.  From the generated outputs, it is true to say that working remittances to GDP, exports to GDP, and imports to GDP have an effect that influences economic growth, respectively GDP growth. Even though foreign direct investment to GDP and inflation rate does not have a significant effect on economic growth, respectively GDP growth.   Keywords: Economic growth; macroeconomic determinants; panel data. JEL code: O47, O11, C23 &nbsp