The corona virus pandemic, wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, as well as numerous global crises and potential natural disasters, raise the question of why Montenegro does not have commodity reserves, which were abolished by the Law on Intervention Procurement in 2003?! In the midst of the corona virus pandemic, the 42nd Government, on February 24, 2022, adopted the Information on the formation of commodity reserves and planned the preparation of a study on the justification of their formation (gov.me).
At the session of the 43rd Government, held on January 12, 2023, the position was taken that "Montenegro should return commodity reserves" and the information on the prepared Study on the need to form commodity reserves was discussed, which was personally confirmed by the then Prime Minister Abazović for the MINA Agency. The budget for 2023 did not include money for the "return of commodity reserves", so it was to be expected that the realization of that important project would be postponed until the formation of the 44th (or nth) government.
At the beginning of July 2024, responding to a parliamentary question, the Deputy Prime Minister, Mr. Đeljošaj, explained the plan for the formation of commodity reserves, referring to the study of the Faculty of Economics, conducted in 2022, according to which 21,34 million euros were necessary for the formation of commodity reserves. He informed the deputies that the working group, which will consist of representatives of the Ministries of Agriculture, Economic Development and Health, will propose a legal solution for the formation of commodity reserves for agricultural and food products, medicines and medical supplies, while the Draft Law on the Formation of Oil and Petroleum Derivatives Reserves is already was in the parliamentary procedure. "It should be borne in mind that the costs are the highest in the first year, until an adequate system is established and goods are purchased, which will be in state ownership, while future costs are significantly lower. Also, that there is currently not enough money in the budget for the formation of of commodity reserves according to the proposed quantities, it was proposed to form an Agency, which would gradually accumulate money for the formation of reserves and deal with the control and monitoring of the market supply and other tasks should be formed to provide monthly needs, while the reserves of oil and its derivatives, using the industrial model, should be provided for three-month needs.
In August 2024, the Prime Minister of the 44th Government, Mr. Spajić, stated the following: "The Government will establish a state enterprise, which will be in charge of commodity reserves, but also for the direct delivery of basic foodstuffs to citizens from commodity reserves. In addition to the benefits that will be reflected in lower and stable prices of basic foodstuffs, it will be a great advantage for people with social needs, disabilities, pensioners and other people who have difficulty going to the supermarket on foot to get groceries." (published by several media). Whether or not the prime minister thought that by forming commodity reserves he could curb the rise in prices is his problem, but his promises about food delivery were not only populist, but inappropriate and, in part, insulting.
At the end of November 2024, the portal aktuelno.me published a post from Fidelity consulting's fb, in which it is written that "in the budget for the year 2025, there are no funds earmarked for the grocery delivery company, nor any commodity reserves".
"For the formation of fuel reserves, it is planned to use 7,5 million euros of direct budget support to Montenegro from the European Commission and introduce a fee of 3 (three) cents per liter on unleaded gasoline, Eurodiesel and liquefied petroleum gas," the Ministry of Mining and Petroleum announced. and gas. Whether the levy on citizens of 3 cents per liter of fuel until 2029 is a "European" or a Balkan gesture is completely irrelevant. We only know that three-month oil stocks are one of the key benchmarks for closing Chapter 15 within the framework of European integration. While the competent Ministry finally has something to do, it is to be expected that the future Agency, which should "accumulate money", impose a "levy on the vilayet" and thus provide agricultural and food products, medicines and medical supplies. Thus, they would complete the "people's" commodity reserves.
It is also worth mentioning the Prime Minister's promise to the citizens that "electricity will not increase in price", and it is not yet known how they will subsidize the 3,41% price increase set by RAE. The Minister of Energy does not hide that it will come from the budget. "They don't know how" but they know that by 2027 "we have to meet the European standard", which implies a price of electricity of 28 cents per kilowatt-hour. As if they enjoy keeping the poor citizens in fear?! However, we hope that, in this particular case, they are not right, because EU figures show that there is no "European standard" for the price of electricity. In many countries, the price is significantly below the European average!
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