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03 January 2019 - The most common barriers that businessmen point out are grey economy and unfair competition, non-liquidity or recovery of debts, numerous and high taxes, fees at the local level, high contributions on wages, high capital prices and difficult access to loans, barriers in legal regulation, problems of insufficient flexibility of labor market, lack of professional staff and frequent amendments of regulations, said president of the Chamber of Commerce, Vlastimir Golubović.
“In order to overcome those barriers, we need to provide greater flexibility of labor market, and enable the employer more space to cancel the contract of employment in case the employee fails to justify the reasons for his employment, reduce labor costs, primarily contributions thereof. That will provide higher employment, reduce the grey economy and create new jobs. It will also increase minimum wage and consequently, reduce the unfair competition and increase the budget revenues,” says Golubović.
He thinks 2018 was a successful business year. Montenegrin economy recorded high growth rates.
“The highest contribution to growth was made sectors by tourism and construction. Hence, construction activity, enhanced by investment projects, increased by 31,5%. All parameters in the tourism sector recorded an increase,” explains Golubović.
According to him, exchange of goods with abroad increased too, due to increase in import and export. However, coverage rate of imports by exports is still very high.
“High import dependence of our economy is the consequence of narrow production base and high correlation between the import of goods and tourism. We should also add important infrastructure and investment projects related to the construction of new tourism capacities which are important import generators. The increase of services revenue reflects in the reduction of foreign trade deficit. Also, FDI is another economic growth generator,” said Golubović.
He pointed out that Montenegro was constantly working on improving the business environment.
“Business conditions are relatively favorable, and a great number of investors who are willing to invest in our state confirm it. However, the most recent World Bank report shows that we have to work on improving that environment more and with greater speed. That does not mean Montenegro regressed in that sense; it just means that other economies made faster progress in this segment. But, that is a signal that we still need improvement. First and foremost, in obtaining electricity connection, setting up business through the introduction of online company registration, real estate registration, payment of taxes, and many other areas. Business community requires further implementation of reforms and activities that will contribute to the additional improvement of the regulatory framework for investments and development of entrepreneurship,” said Golubović.
Although there are some areas where it is necessary to improve competitive capabilities of Montenegrin companies, it is obvious that the economy is making a progress in fulfilling the requirements for successful performance at foreign market, EU market in the first place.
“One of the positive examples I can give you is that the food manufacturers who got European export numbers for placing their products at the market with 500 million potential buyers. This is the result of efforts of our manufacturers they put in reaching the standards of high-quality and food safety,” said Golubović.
First man of the Chamber of Commerce says that Montenegro is considered to be an attractive destination for both foreign and domestic investors. That is thanks to the visible potentials in tourism, agriculture, transport infrastructure, energy sector, as well as thanks to numerous possibilities for investments in other sectors, especially in less developed regions.
“Ever since it regained its independence, around €9,2 billion have been invested in Montenegro. EU accession negotiation process means accepting new rules that entail harmonization of domestic legislation with the acquis communautaire. The competitive tax system and a set of encouraging measures for domestic and foreign investors is something that makes Montenegro even more attractive,” concluded Golubović.
Source: Cafe del Montenegro
04 January 2019 - The five pillars on the Moračica bridge, which is also the most demanding structure of the first section of the highway from Smokovac to Mateševo, will be connected by the beginning of summer 2019. More than 130 workers constructed the bridge, and there are many difficulties within the construction process, such as the height and the weather conditions.
Despite the strong wind that is characteristic of Bioče area, 130 workers do construction works on one of the highest bridges within the region, each day at the height of 160 meters.
About 30,000 cubic meters of concrete will be used for the Moračica's span construction, while 5,000 tons of reinforcement will be installed within the construction.
"The spanning structure is built from all pillars, and it is connected in the middle. About one segment of three and a half meters is built for about ten days, which means that we are looking forward to the beginning of the summer when the span construction will be complete, “chief Section 1 engineer Duško Rondović said to the National News Agency TVCG.
After that, asphalting and construction of the reflecting fence and installations on the bridge will begin. During the asphalting process, travelers will be able to get from Moračica to Podgorica through the Mrka tunnel and the Mrka bridge.
"The left bridge is practically complete; the span construction is connected. It remains to build four segments on the right side of the bridge. We expect this to be complete sometime in the spring. In front of this bridge there is the Mrka tunnel where we have just finished the secondary coating, "said Rondović.
In addition to the tunnel Mrka, in the so-called first section of the highway, there will be two more tunnels - Suka and Verešnik, and a total of 300 workers are engaged in the construction works.
Source: CDM
04 January 2019 - The newly founded Ukrainian airline SkyUp Airlines, based in Kiev, will open scheduled flights from four cities in Ukraine to Podgorica Airport for the upcoming summer of the IATA season.
As announced by SkyUp, they received licenses from the Ukrainian aviation authorities to open routes to Podgorica from Kiev, Lviv, Kharkov, and Zaporizhia. According to the State Aviation Administration of Ukraine, flights from Kiev will be maintained three times per week, while services from Lvov, Kharkov, and Zaporizhia will run twice weekly. The regulator issued permits to the carrier, enabling it to introduce the new routes from March 31 onwards.
The airline said in a press release that the cost of the ticket will be formed using a low-cost model without luggage and additional services. It will depend on the destination and time of buying the tickets.
SkyUp LLC operating as SkyUp Airlines is a Ukrainian charter airline, which began operating in May 2018. SkyUp was launched as a charter carrier but plans to commence scheduled flights next year. It boasts a fleet of three Boeing 737-800s and one B737-700, with orders for three B737 MAX 10 and two MAX 8 aircraft.
Find more information about the carrier at their official website.
04 January 2019 - Montenegro’s rich cultural offer includes a great number of festivals, from small gatherings to regional events which attract numerous tourists from all over Europe. Festivals in Montenegro often gather an impressive amount of international artists who offer an incredible experience and thus contribute to the development of tourism within the country. Many events explore exciting aspects of life and are closely related to a specific region in Montenegro.
The citizens of Montenegro especially enjoy music festivals, which bring together top music artists who strive to enrich the cultural scene within the country, and with the power of will and with a lot of effort, they succeed in making significant and memorable events.
- Sea Dance Festival
Sea Dance Festival is a fantastic music festival held at Buljarica beach in Montenegro. It has been held at Jaz beach in Budva since July 2014 until 2017, as a part of the EXIT Adventure, an extension of EXIT Festival. Just after its first edition, Sea Dance festival was officially proclaimed as the “Best Medium-Sized European festival” at the European Festivals Awards, held in Groningen in January 2015. The key stages of the festival include the Main stage with its 30,000-attendee capacity, No Sleep Stage, Reggae Stage, Silent Dance, Latino Stage, Cinema, and CHILL Zone. Dance Paradise Stage was replaced with the No Sleep Stage in 2017. In 2018, Sea Dance Festival took place 30 August–1 September. It was the first time the location of the festival has been changed, moving from Jaz beach to Buljarica in Budva. The headlining acts for Sea Dance 2018 included Chic, Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike, Paul Kalkbrenner, Nina Kraviz, Alice Merton, as well as Bajaga i Instruktori, Bassivity Showcase (Sara Jo etc.), Burak Yeter, Filatov & Karas, Hladno Pivo, Lost Frequencies, Rambo Amadeus, Van Gogh and many more. The overall attendance was 47,000 people in three days.
- Lake Fest
Eight years of Lake Fest have shown that Nikšić has a large number of people who want such a primarily musical but also a multicultural festival to be organised within the city. This is another reason for Lake Fest to become a tradition and a segment of interesting event program which Montenegro brings to its citizens but also all the visitors from the region and other parts of Europe. The tradition of rock and roll as well as other related music styles are extensive in Nikšić and provides an additional reason for the domestic audience to know how to recognise a quality manifestation. Lake Festi is organised near Lake Krupac, which adds to the overall atmosphere within the event. The 2018 Lake Fest lasted four days, from 9th–12th August 2018. The leading artists included Rudolf, Barbara Munjas, Orthodox Celts, Perper, Zoster, Ritam Nereda, Iskaz, Atomsko Sklonište, Van Gogh, Goblini, Chiapas – Rage Against The Machine Tribute, Punkreas, Bubnjivi, Helem Nejse, Vlatko Stefanovski Trio, Dst, Marčelo And The Prodigy Tribute.
- Bedem Fest
Bedem fest is a traditional musical event that takes place at the Nikšić fortress Bedem, after which the festival was named. The festival was created with the enthusiasm and energy of Petar Šundić, who began with the mission of gathering Nikšić’s musicians of different generations with the main idea to create a tribute to the band EKV. The phenomenon worthy of attention and respect is the fact that at Bedem fest most bands and musicians perform without fee and thus contribute to the affirmation of the festival. Thanks to the resulting synergy, the Bedem fest is authentic and special. This year's edition of the festival was marked by Masimo Savić, Beogradski Sindikat, Zorica Kondža, Kaliopi, Melau bend, Obojeni program, Sowas, Električni orgazam, and many others.
- Sea Rock Festival
Sea Rock Festival was first organized by a small group of enthusiastic young people from Bay of Kotor region with no significant financial support. Sea Rock is a unique opportunity for the people of Montenegro and neighboring countries to enjoy live performances of some of the most important alternative rock bands from all over the world on the open-air stage surrounded by stone walls of the amazing ancient town of Kotor. Every technical detail of the festival is carefully planned and thought of, and it is a unique and enjoyable experience being on or off stage for everyone, artists, and visitors. In 2018, the SeaRock Festival was held for the eighth time, and performers at this year's edition were American Sun Kil Moon, Strand Of Oaks, American Howe Gelb, Billie Joan, Tourists, Baobab and On Tour.
- City Groove Festival
City Groove Festival is held at the Small Sports Stadium in Podgorica. This year the fourth edition of the festival managed to attract more festival tourists due to the great music stars that performed on City Grove. The festival has defined its format as an international manifestation that the Capital records on the map of world music attractions. In 2017, City Groove Festival was declared the best event within the Capital at the manifestation "The Best in Tourism and Catering" organized by Tourist Organisation of Podgorica. The list of artists that performed in 2018 includes Dario Nunez, The Cube Guys, Josipa Lisac, Vatra and Simple Minds.
January 4, 2019 - "From Christmas to Christmas," the original and recognizable Kotor manifestation, after content organized before the Rock New Year program, continues today and lasts till 8 January, reminds NGO "Karampana."
photo by Radio Bruškin 03 January 2019 - This year, Montenegro confirmed the epithet of one of the main destinations in the region for the celebration of New Year's Eve, thanks to rich multi-day programs that have been organized on city squares for more than two decades and an attractive offer of hotels and winter tourist centres.
The magnificent celebration and performances of many popular local and regional music stars of various genres, in Kotor, Herceg Novi, Tivat, Budva, Bar, and Podgorica, according to estimates, attracted over 42,000 visitors during New Year's Eve, mostly from the country and the region, but also from other European countries.
In the year which marked the Jubilee 20 years since the first organized celebration of the New Year’s Eve at the Square, Budva, which carries the epithet of regional best entertainment for the holidays celebration, recorded a record attendance of over 28,000 visitors during New Year's Eve and over 75,000 guests who visited Budva during five festive days and nights, according to the estimates of the local Tourist Organization of Budva.
Great attendance was recorded at the other coastal towns and the Capital, which organized a rich New Year's program that included entertaining, cultural and artistic contents, performances, concerts, and animation program for children, Christmas bazaars, skating rinks, daily shows of classical, traditional music and the like.
Montenegrin winter tourist centres - Žabljak and Kolašin, are traditionally particularly attractive for New Year's Eve and noted the maximum occupancy during the holidays. Hotels that organised a celebratory program had many requests for guests without reservations. The winter season was open starting mid-December, so all visitors to these cities can enjoy winter walks, skiing, snowboarding, walking on snowshoes, and many innovations such as Nordic skiing trails in these cities, adventure parks and a national restaurant at the Black Lake.
03 January 2019 - During his official visit to Bijelo Polje, Prime Minister Duško Marković highlighted that he believes that 2019 will be the year of wage growth in both public and private sectors and that this growth should be a consequence of Montenegro's economic growth and economic success.
When asked to comment on the consequences of his statement made late last year at the Chamber of Commerce, when the PM called on employers and owners of companies to transfer some of the profits to salaries of employees, the Prime Minister noted that he has already received positive feedback signals.
On this occasion, Marković said that he took the opportunity to raise an important issue concerning the quality of life of all citizens of Montenegro, especially the employees of the companies above. In fact, over the previous two years, the Government has been dedicated to creating essential conditions for accelerated development, the growth of the economy and new jobs creation. In 2017, the Montenegrin economy grew at a rate of 4.7%, and 4.8% in the first nine months of 2018, and the state created 11000 new jobs. According to administrative data, the registered unemployment rate in Montenegro fell from 21% to 17.2%, whereas the LFS-based unemployment rate fell from 21% to 14.1%. “Therefore, the year 2019 has to be the year of continuation of such a trend, but also of the improvement of the living standards of citizens in Montenegro, and especially the employees, not only in the public administration, but in the private sector as well," said the Prime Minister.
Marković added that the data he previously explained is the reason he told employers and owners of companies that Montenegro has improved the business ambience, created conditions for the profit of their companies, but that some of that profit should now be passed on to the standard of employees.
The PM is hopeful that 2019 will be the year of wage growth for employees in both public and private sectors, that in 2019 Montenegro will create preconditions for the growth of pensions and that 2019 will bring improvement of living standards for employees in education, and other sectors. “We will do everything to put the grey economy under control, to make people pay taxes and contribute to the State, thus creating the conditions for transferring part of that profits that Montenegro creates from the growth of its economy into citizens' pockets," Prime Minister Duško Marković stressed.
02 December 2019 - The Government of Montenegro reviewed the Draft Law Amending the Law on Public Order and Peace, submitted to the Parliament of Montenegro by its Deputy Speaker Genci Nimanbegu, and in that regard, gave Opinion in the text prepared by the Ministry of the Interior. Amendments proposed by the Government are related to the introduction of the obligation to stand up for the national anthem, which, together with the penal provisions concerning state symbols, becomes an integral part of this Law.
Minister of Culture Aleksandar Bogdanović said that the Government remains firmly committed to promoting the state policy based on suppressing negative and growing phenomena in society relating to the denial of Montenegro's statehood and cultural identity, the civic profile of the Montenegrin society, the glorification and representation of fascist, chauvinist and Nazi ideas and ideology.
State Secretary of the Ministry of the interior Dragan Pejanović pointed out that it was proposed that the Law on Public Order and Peace should consider the actions taken "through advertisements and advertising billboards" as violations of public order and peace.
The new article stipulates that a legal entity that publishes inappropriate and misleading content in the public place, through advertisement and advertising billboards that cause anxiety and disgrace to citizens, shall be imposed fines for a misdemeanour ranging from 2,500 EUR to 15,000 EUR.
The Government's proposal states that the unsuitable and misleading contents that provoke, upset or disgrace citizens are the following: incorrect presentation and denial of clearly established historical facts regarding Montenegro; bringing facts that violate territorial integrity or magnify the occupation of Montenegro; cooperating with the occupier or advocating for fascist, chauvinist and Nazi ideas and ideologies. It also prescribes that an entrepreneur who commits a misdemeanor will be fined from 500 EUR to 5,000 EUR, a responsible person in a legal entity will be imposed fines ranging from 300 EUR to 2,000 EUR, and a natural person from 300 EUR to 1,000 EUR or a prison sentence of up to 60 days.
In Article 21 of the Law, a new paragraph shall be added after paragraph 4, which reads as follows: "A natural person who during the performance of the national anthem, in cases when applicable regulations prescribe the performance, is sitting, whistling, creating noise or otherwise disturbing public peace and order, thus causing anxiety, disgrace or jeopardising the serenity of citizens, will be fined 250 to 1200 EUR or imprisonment for up to 60 days."
02 December 2019 - The previous year was marked by intensive cooperation between the Ministry of Economy and the Government of Montenegro. They worked on system solutions, and on a daily basis, tried to solve the problems encountered by business people.
The Ministry of Economy has prepared a Law on Business Companies that is in the process of harmonisation with the European Commission. The law will allow exemption of the Assembly when it comes to single-member limited liability companies and for multi-member ones will be retained.
"Registration of the company has been transferred from the CRPS (Central Registry of Business Entities) to the Tax Administration, and we do not want to return the centralization to anyone, but to everyone can communicate with the CRPS in their cities. In the next year we will improve electronic services in the part of what is related to the registration of the company, and on the other hand we will train people from the Tax Administration so that citizens can use this service electronically and in the cities where they live," as noted by the representatives of the Government of Montenegro.
The Law on Concessions is an example of good communication between the Government, the Ministry, and the Economy, where through the new solutions the answer to all the shortcomings from the past period was found.
"The Law on Copyright and Related Rights implies more stringent control over the work of the author of music. The amendments to the Law refer to the field of joint exercise of copyright and related rights and harmonization with the 2014/26 / EU Directive on the collective exercise of rights. By adopting these changes, we will significantly improve transparency in the work of organizations for the collective exercise of rights and supervision of their work. The Intellectual Property Office (now as part of the Ministry of Economy) will have to issue a provisional tariff, and this will certainly affect all the problems that were related to the tariff for which the fee had to be paid to the association of music authors," said representatives of the Government of Montenegro.
The draft of the Law on Internal Trade has been drafted, and its adoption is expected after the holiday. In the trade sector that employs 37,000 people, Sunday will be declared non-working through a legal solution, and bylaws will bring solutions for exceptions respecting the tourist season and the basic living needs of citizens.
The Ministry of Economy contributes to the suppression of the gray economy through the adoption of the Law on Inspection Supervision in part relating to supervision in buildings that are not registered for the business activity.
"We are trying to improve the Montenegrin economy from two aspects: by improving the infrastructure, through a project with the Montenegrin Electricity Distribution System to revitalize the distribution network in which it is planned to invest some 90 million euros in the next three years," underlined representatives of the Ministry of Economy.
Telecommunication infrastructure is very advanced. The adoption of the Law on the use of high-speed EC networks is being planned. Thus, there will be space for the cheapening of telecommunication services.
"The Ministry of Economy has supported ten incentive programs. We decided that approximately 1 million 630 thousand euros would be available to the Montenegrin economy in the Ministry of Economy as one unified Competitiveness Facility. The Fund will be permanently open and available 365 days a year where the ministry, besides providing incentives, will also provide non-financial services in terms of developing business plans and assisting in applying as an intermediary to the economy and to all those who can give them financial resources," concluded representatives of the Ministry of Economy.
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07 Mar 2018, 08:08 AMWelcome to Total Montenegro News!
Interview of the week
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Ranka Vukasovic Botica on Montenegro as a Maritime Country
