Mile Lefkov: Venko Filipche and SDSM remnants oppose development of data‑center industry

Mile Lefkov, a Member of Parliament from VMRO‑DPMNE, accused Venko Filipche and what he called "the remnants of SDSM" of opposing the development of an industry based on data centers during a press conference held today in Skopje.

"So even people from SDSM see that the development of this type of industry is an advantage both for citizens and for Macedonia as a state and for its development," Lefkov said, stressing that the idea has supporters inside the ruling party as well.

Dispute over a national data center

At the same event Lefkov sharply criticised Filipche's stance and dismissed concerns raised about transparency and resource use.

"Filipche has obviously remained blind when it comes to this topic, hiding behind the claim that the process for development of this industry is not transparent. Obviously Filipche does not want to hear the facts. He says that he worries about the price of electricity, about the use of waters by a data center. But everything is clear and publicly stated: electricity will be procured on the market or from renewable sources, and for the cooling needed for the operation of these centers there are several methods, which means the waters are not in danger. And about the national data center he should know that the state will save by consolidating data in one place, and the data will be secure," he said at the press conference.

Lefkov argued that a national data center would reduce costs for the state by centralising information and would increase data security compared with the current dispersed setup.

The MP concluded by accusing the SDSM leadership of blocking a project that, according to him and some members of SDSM, would bring economic and infrastructural benefits to the country.

Photo: press material from the event