The total exemptions of the builders of the first section of the highway from paying duties to the state, from the start of construction until now, can be estimated at around one hundred million euros. Many subcontractors were hired, which are considered to be companies close to the government, but there are also those who "performed construction works" worth tens of millions of euros, and were registered for trade or consulting.
There are also companies that received jobs and money, but were blocked and owed money to the state, as well as cases where it is not possible to determine which company and what it received money for because there are several connected with the same name. There are also examples of certain companies going into blockade or bankruptcy, while others continued their work under a similar name.
All this can be seen from the documentation on previous works and payments that the ministries of finance and transport submitted to the independent MP Aleksandar Damjanović.
The total value of products and services for which subcontractors on the construction project of the highway section from Smokovac to Mateševo have been exempted from customs and tax obligations since 2015 is 445,31 million euros.
Data from the Ministry of Finance show that the companies Bemaks, Cijevna komerc and Montengro petrol received the largest jobs on the highway from this sum, in the total amount of nearly 160 million euros.
The company Bemaks has been paid 95,69 million euros so far for 33 completed jobs. The main contractor Chinese CRBC hired them, among other things, for the construction of all asphalt pavement structures, slope protection for the Moračica bridge, four tunnels (Suka, Vežešnik, 1 and 2 Mrke), the Mrke bridge, three underpasses, the foundation pillars of the Jabuka bridge, preparatory works on the construction of the Smokovac loop, electromechanical installations and water supply and noise protection and toll booths on that loop...
On this amount of work, Bemaks was exempted from paying taxes and customs duties, and it was granted 1,14 million euros directly based on the refund of part of the excise duty paid. The founder and executive director of the company is Veselin Kovačević, and for years that company has been associated with the top of the ruling structures from the strongest DPS party, which are close to the adviser to the head of state, Milan Roćen, who denied the connection.
"Cijevni Komerc" millions, and liable for taxes
The documents of both ministries mention the name of the company "Cijevna komerc" owned by businessman Danilo Petrović, which has generated 34,4 million euros in revenue so far. The account of the company with this name is often blocked, and the last one has been in effect since October 1 due to a debt of 1,1 million euros. At the end of June, this company had a tax debt of 1,68 million euros, covered by the reprogram. However, three months earlier her tax debt was 1,1 million euros. This shows that the company, although in reprogramming, is increasing its tax debt, which should not happen. The total revenues from the highway are more than enough to repay these debts, if they were paid at all to the company with this name.
Danilo Petrović is the owner of another company with almost the same name "Cijevna commerc". This company's account is also often blocked, and the last one has been pending since October 1 due to a debt of 200 euros. At the end of June, she had a tax debt in the reprogram of 370 euros, and three months earlier it was 355. Her tax debt is also growing, which is contrary to the rules of the reprogramming.
"Cijevna komerc", at least according to the Ministry of Transport, was engaged for mixing and transporting concrete, for loading, unloading, storage and transport of materials, construction of quarries, crushing plants and concrete factories... This company has so far been granted an excise tax refund worth 1,22 million euros.
Bridges are also built by a trading company
The third largest subcontractor is the company "Montengro petrol", which is registered for wholesale trade, but performed construction works on the highway for which 28,7 million euros have been paid so far. According to the list given to Damjanović by the Ministry of Transport, this merchant built access roads, assembled and assembled concrete mixing plants, built bridges over the Tara and Drcka... He received 637,28 thousand based on a refund of part of the excise duty paid. The founder of the company is Andrea Šuškavčević Novović.
Ramel is also on the list of subcontractors, which contracted works worth 9,2 million euros. He worked on projects and performed works in the field of electrical installations.
The Ramel company has business ties with Blazo Đukanović, the son of the president of the state, Milo Đukanović. Mlađi Đukanović took out loans in the name of his company "BB solar" whose beneficiary was Ramel.
The main contractor CRBC was exempted from taxes and contributions for the salaries of its employees in the amount of 19,92 million, it paid 9,36 thousand based on profit tax in 2017 and 48,67 thousand in the last year, and for the goods it imported in the amount of 41,19 million is exempted from customs duties and VAT upon importation. CRBC kept 4,5 million based on the refund of part of the paid excise duty.
Damjanović: Forgiven and forgotten raises the price
Damjanović told "Vijesti" that the data he received from the ministries indicate that the ceded budget revenues, that is, tax exemptions for contractors and subcontractors are at a high level, and any calculation of the price of the highway share must also include this segment. "The fact that five years from the adoption of the law that introduced tax incentives and four years from the beginning of the works have passed without any supervision by the Assembly, speaks of the irresponsibility of the Assembly majority and the non-transparent implementation of the largest infrastructure project. If there was full control, there would be no loopholes, no forgotten works, no problems with project delays, which, together with lost budget revenues, will significantly increase the original cost of the project. Inquiries from deputies cannot replace continuous parliamentary supervision of this project," said Damjanović.
In their response to Damjanović, the Ministry of Finance states that the positive effect of this project, which is of great importance for the country's economy, is the project's contribution to reducing unemployment or increasing employment.
"It is estimated that by the end of 2019, the unemployment rate will be lower by about 0,4 percentage points than it would be without the construction of the highway. It is expected that the number of employees at the end of 2019 will be about 1,7 percent higher than in the case without the implementation of the project. At the same time, it is expected that the number of unemployed will decrease by around 1,3 percent", the Ministry of Finance points out.
The construction of the first section of the highway from Smokovac to Mateševo officially began on May 11, 2015, and the Chinese contractor company CRBC was supposed to finish it in four years. That deadline was moved to September of the following year. The contract signed by the state with CRBC defines that at least 1 percent of the accepted amount of the contract will be awarded to subcontractors engaged for the design and execution of works that have their headquarters and registration in Montenegro before January 2012, 30.
A stone worth about 50 million
The Ministry of Transport stated in a letter to the deputy that the total amount of technical-construction stone that CRBC can use for the construction of the highway without compensation and that the contractor has obtained to date is 7.702.000 cubic meters, part of which was used for the construction of the highway -times, and the rest was disposed of as surplus.
"The fact that, for the first time, the data on the consumption of stone, which, according to the law, is free for the contractor, and who invoices his work to the state through the contract, indicates the need for full control. This is because, calculating the market prices of construction-technical stone, it follows that this item is worth almost 50 million euros, which is very significant when calculating the full price of the project," said Damjanović.
In the response of the Government department, they state that since the official start of the works on May 11, 2015, CRBC has been paid the total value of advances of 173,23 million, while it has performed works worth 577,02 million euros.
"Of which the amount of 462,34 million is due for collection after deduction for repayment of advance, guaranteed deposit and retention based on notification of non-compliance", the Ministry points out.
Several companies with the name "Petrobart" received 11 million euros
Among the significant subcontractors are companies that are only formally Montenegrin because their owners are from abroad. In several cases, there are two or more companies with the same name, so it is unclear which one earned that amount.
One example is the company "Petrobart" from Belgrade, Gibraltar or Podgorica. The company or companies of this name earned 11 million euros from the sale of fuel to contractors on the highway. In the first year of the construction of the highway, the contractor had a fuel supply contract with the company "Petrobart" from Belgrade, whose founder is the company of the same name from Gibraltar and the authorized representative is the Belgrade businessman Zoran Obradović, and it was paid 159 thousand euros in that year. The following year, 833 thousand euros are paid to the company "Petrobart", without specifying where it is from.
In Montenegro during that period there were companies "Petrobart", as part of a foreign company, "Petrobart MNE" and "Petrobart Avia", in which Obradović was the founder or a member of the board.
In 2017, the Oil Industry of Serbia initiated a request for compulsory collection against the company "Petrobart" Belgrade due to a debt of 390 million dinars, which is 3,3 million euros, while Obradović closed its company in Podgorica. After that, Obradović transfers the business to the twin companies in Montenegro, while the debts remain with the company in Belgrade.
According to the data of the Ministry of Finance, in 2017 EUR 5,37 million was paid to the company "Petrobart", without specifying the headquarters or addition in the name. For 2018, it is stated that EUR 1,84 million was paid to the company "Petrobart MNE". In December of that year, "Petrobart" from Belgrade went into bankruptcy.
This year, until the end of September, EUR 2,86 million was paid to the company "Petrobart" for the supply of fuel to contractors on the highway, without specifying the seat or continuation in the name. In the company "Petrobart MNE" the founder is Obradović, and the director is the former Assistant Minister of Finance Nemanja Pavličić.
It is not known which of the three companies "Skladgradnja" received three million euros
In the past three years, about three million euros have been paid to the company or companies listed in the papers as "Skladgradnja". In the reports for some years, it was stated that the money was paid to a foreign company with that name, but somewhere there are no such details. There are two companies with that name in Montenegro, and the third one is in Split.
The company "Skladgradnja" from Podgorica, as part of a foreign company from Split, is managed by Slaven Žužul. This company's account is blocked and it had no income last year. Another company is "Skladgradnja Montenegro" whose owner and director is Žužul, which is also now on the list of blocked companies. Žužul is also the director of the company of the same name from Split. His workers in Montenegro protested several times because they were not paid for their work on the highway.
7,8 million to the trader or consultant "Montesino" for the installation of the crusher
7,8 million euros were paid to the company or companies using the name "Montesino". In some reports, it is stated that this company is from abroad, and in others, that it is from Podgorica.
In a report on the granting of consent by the Ministry of Transport, it is stated that the company "Montesino" from Podgorica was hired to set up a crushing plant at the Mrke camp.
However, according to data from the registry in Montenegro, there is one company with this name whose owner and director is Marina Bisenić, and it is registered for trade. The information on her income in the tax report does not match what the ministry says it paid the company.
The register also includes the company "Monte-Sino Investment Services" registered in Podgorica, whose owners are Anja Đurović and Marko Rešetar, which deals in business consulting. The company was registered last year and had no income.
On the website of this company, it is stated that their partner is a company of the same name from China that deals with business consulting.
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