The Acting Director of Public Enterprise Regional Water Supply Puniša Pavićević said that they do not have a customs debt of 3,8 million euros, as stated in the document of the Customs Administration, stating that they are exempted from paying it by the conclusions of the Government.
A few days ago, the customs administration asked shipping companies in Montenegro to pay the customs debt instead of their debtors, referring to an article in the customs law. Freight forwarders claim that the Administration is misinterpreting the law and that they will initiate legal action challenging that intention, as well as that they will be proud of the lawsuits and organize a public campaign. According to the list sent to some freight forwarders, part of which was published by "Vijesti", the Regional Waterworks is in second place in terms of debt.
"The freight forwarder who was hired for this job really received a warning from the Customs Administration on May 17 that the amount of 3,8 million euros should be paid in the name of the alleged debt of the Regional Waterworks. I emphasize that this debt is non-existent," Pavićević said.
He recalled that on February 22, 2008, when the construction of the regional water supply network for the coast began, the Government made a decision according to which all goods and equipment imported for the purposes of construction are exempted from paying customs duties, fees for the work of customs services and VAT.
"Thus, for that amount, the regional water supply did not have any obligation of customs debt, but in accordance with the obligations from the international loan, from which the construction was financed, this obligation was assumed by the Government as a domestic contribution. That decision of the Government prescribed the procedure and documentation to enable the import of this equipment. All that procedure was completed to the end and the proper documentation on import was forwarded to the ministries of tourism and spatial planning and finance," Pavićević said.
He emphasized that only when the two ministers signed the specification could the goods cross the border.
"All that procedure was carried out and implemented in that way in the period from 2008 to 2012. Therefore, there are no obligations of the Regional Waterworks and its forwarder regarding the payment of the customs debt. "This is obviously not about customs debt, but simply the lack of promptness of the administration in the Ministry of Finance, which did not fully implement the procedure prescribed by the Government's conclusions," Pavićević said.
Bonus video:
