In Montenegro, according to official data from June 1 of this year in the possession of "Vijesti", 237 yachts are registered, of which 36 belong to Montenegrin citizens and companies. Among the owners of yachts, which are a symbol of the rich because their prices range from several hundred thousand euros to several hundred million euros, there are also tax debtors, as well as those convicted of criminal association.
According to the list of registered yachts, which was submitted by the Maritime Safety Administration on the basis of free access to information, the owners of yachts sailing under the Montenegrin flag are also citizens of Russia (67), Serbia (62), then Albania, Italy, the USA, Kazakhstan, the Czech Republic, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ukraine, Britain. Companies registered in the British Virgin Islands have 35 yachts in Montenegro.
According to the Law on Yachts, a yacht is defined as a motor-driven or sailing vessel, which may have more than one hull, intended and equipped for a longer stay at sea, for leisure, sports and recreation, the length of which exceeds seven meters and which is used for personal needs or economic activity.
Among Montenegrin citizens, yachts are owned by Branko Vujošević, Sabri Zejnelaga, Aleksandar Bošković, Emir Rašketić, Ratko Vujacić, Željko Perović, Snežan Kovinić, Marijan Milošević, Petar Brakočević, Pairaktaridis Emmanouil, Dejan Ban, Momir Vojinović, Miljan Darmanović, Vladimir Kordić, Nikola and Petar Vukotić (two yachts), Ismet Cungu and Suad Memic.
From Montenegrin companies, yachts have BMV shipping services Bar, whose founder is Dragutin Vukić, as well as UTIP Crna Gora Žarko Burić. UTIP was on the last April black list of the Tax Administration with a debt of 152.520 euros for taxes and 217.772 euros for taxes and contributions on earnings. The debt has been rescheduled.
Among the tax debtors who own a yacht is the company Klikovac Podgorica (founder Aleksandar Klikovac), which is on the black list of the PU with a reprogrammed debt for taxes and contributions of 237.094 euros. The yacht (Helena) is also owned by the Budva company Gugi Commerce, owned by Branislav Savić, who, based on a plea agreement with the Special State Prosecutor's Office, was sentenced to a single sentence of imprisonment for 11 months. He admitted that he is part of the criminal group of Svetozar Marović, which committed several acts of fraud in Budva.
In the CRPS, it is written that the company Gugi Commerce was entered into the criminal records by the final judgment of the High Court of August 28, 2017. By the decision of the High Court, the company was given a conditional sentence and an obligation to pay 2,5 million euros to the Municipality of Budva in the name of a property legal claim, partly by transferring the property rights on real estate from the defendant to the injured party, and partly by paying the amount of 300.535 euros.
The municipality is also waiting for the implementation of two plea agreements in the total amount of six million euros. The company paid a fine of 300 euros after the first agreement, but three business premises in the TQ Plaza complex, as well as the land complex of 1.683 square meters on Bečićka beach, have not yet been transferred to the Municipality, which they also committed to under the first agreement. Another agreement has yet to be implemented, which is why that company pledged property in Tivat.
Among the yacht owners are the Budva companies Porto Budva Company (Nemanja Zec) and Slavija (Predrag Ćupić), Si-ing Podgorica (Ivan Suhih), Kairos MNE Herceg Novi (Robert Perović) and Ljetopis Automotive Podgorica (Borislav Mijović).
The yachts were entered in the register by the companies Samtron Yachting Tivat (Milorad Vuletić), Sunshine charting Tivat (Viktor Grablowitz), Ekonomik Assets Management (Ivana Đurašević Landsmeer, Jacob Henderik Paulus Landsmeer), Dajković Co Namos Podgorica (Vladan Dajković), Uniprom hotels Veselin Pejovića , Euro technique MN Podgorica (Željko Vojinović), Marine services Herceg Novi (Nenad Lazović, Božo Zgradić), La pluma Bar (Filip Bajković), Fila MN Bar (Fila Nord group Novi Sad).
In October of last year, the Ministry of Transport said that there are no megayachts in the Montenegrin registry, because the largest registered one does not exceed 24 meters, that is, the length of the yacht Lady Sovereign II, marked MNE 0356. The owner of that yacht is an offshore company registered in Delaware, MTL Yacht Club of Delaware.
According to data from the website of the Maritime Safety Administration, the costs for registering a yacht in the register and renewing the Certificate are 30 euros per linear meter for a motor-powered yacht and a multihull yacht, and 20 euros per linear meter for a sailing yacht. A fee of 20 euros is payable for deleting the yacht from the register. For the basic and regular inspection, a fee of seven euros per square meter of the yacht is paid. For an extraordinary yacht inspection, a fee of 20 percent of the yacht's registration price and an administrative fee is payable.
The owner of the yacht also pays tax on the use of passenger motor vehicles, vessels, aircraft and aircraft, mandatory liability insurance as well as approval for a radio station on the vessel. The Yacht Registry issues a Yacht Registration Certificate that is valid for three years.
"Vijesti" asked the Ministry of Finance how much the income is based on fees for the use of yachts registered in Montenegro in the last year and the first quarter of this year, but the department replied that this fee is the income charged by the Port Authority. "Vijesti" is waiting for information from the Port Authority. A yacht can be rented in Montenegro, under a domestic, but also a foreign flag. The legal requirement for someone to charter a yacht under a foreign flag is to pay a one-time annual fee of several thousand euros in addition to the vignette.
Specialized portals and travel magazines often mention Montenegro as a yachting destination that should be visited. In addition to natural beauty, Montenegro is an attractive destination because it offers a much more liberal and cheaper regime for the stay of foreign yachts in Montenegrin waters, their eventual import and registration under the Montenegrin flag, lower tax rates and much more, such as duty-free yacht fuel and taxes.
And maintaining a yacht is expensive
Yacht owners, in addition to government duties, have many other costs such as fuel, general maintenance and wages. Insurance company Towergate estimated that the annual fee for the docks is about $350.000, insurance averages $240.000, and maintenance and repairs can cost millions, as well as crew wages. In total, the yacht owner should expect annual maintenance to be around ten percent of the initial sailing costs.
The most expensive yachts in the world
The most expensive yachts in the world, according to data published by CNN at the beginning of June, are the "Eclipse" of the owner of "Chelsea" Roman Abramovich ($485 million), then the yacht "A" of the Russian billionaire Andrei Melnichenko ($450 million), the "Octopus" of the co-founder of Microsoft Paul Allen ($200 million), then "Dubai" by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum, "Lady Moura" by businessman from Saudi Arabia Nasser Al Rashid, "Al Mirqab" by Qatar's former prime minister Hamad Bin Jassim al Thani and "Dilbar" by the main shareholder of the football club "Arsenal" by Alisher Usmanov.
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