If the government will use the budget reserve for financial assistance to citizens and the economy, the information about it must be public, so that the help goes to those who are most affected by the coronavirus epidemic, announced the Action for Social Justice (ASP).
"It is also important that this aid is provided as soon as possible, because the impression is that the Government does not yet have a clear strategy for economic assistance to the most vulnerable. It is unclear whether the Government will go to the Parliament with legal changes or will open payments from the budget reserve in legally questionable ways and without the consent of the Assembly", according to the ASP statement signed by the legal adviser of this NGO, Ines Mrdović.
She states that the budget reserve has been a "black box" of the state treasury for years, because not all cash flows are known, but only a limited part of them.
"According to ASP data, only in the last six months of last year, the Ministry of Finance hid hundreds or even thousands of payments from the budget reserve, even though taxpayers have the right to know how their money from the state coffers is spent," the NGO announced.
As an example, they cite the documentation submitted to the ASP for payments from the treasury for December last year, where, as this NGO claims, hundreds of payments were hidden, and for November of the same year, every payment made was hidden.
"According to the law, money from the budget reserve is used for unplanned and insufficiently planned expenses. It can be used to give aid to individuals to improve their financial situation, education and treatment, as well as help to legal entities. However, in an election year, such as this one, the payment of social assistance is prohibited, and Prime Minister Duško Marković said that the Government is ready to provide money from the budget reserve and help citizens who are already asking for help," said the ASP.
These NGOs remind us that according to the Budget Law for this year, close to 86 million was allocated to the current budget reserve, of which 66 million was projected to help Montenegro Airlines, so the Government, as they said, has 20 million at its disposal.
"If these funds are used to help the citizens and the economy at a certain difficult time for the state, it is of crucial importance that this procedure be as transparent as possible, because this is the only way to ensure that those who need it the most will receive the help. Finally, the Government should also open data on the inflows and outflows of money from the account of the National Coordinating Body, and in this regard ASP sent a request based on the Law on Free Access to Information", the ASP statement concludes.
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