In the business relations between the investors of the Portonovi project in Kumbor, the company "Azmont", the main contractor - the Italian company "Pizzarotti" and a number of domestic and foreign companies that are engaged as subcontractors on the project, there have been many problems for a long time, among which payments to subcontractors for completed works.
This was confirmed unofficially by "News" from a number of domestic and foreign companies that, as subcontractors, were or are still engaged in the construction of a luxury tourist complex that Azerbaijani investors are building on the site of a former military barracks.
Shifting responsibility
"The debts owed to us by the investor and the main contractor are in the millions. So far, we have not been able to collect them, despite numerous urgencies and threats to engage the contracted international audit. 'Azmont' and 'Pizzarotti' shift responsibility to each other for not paying us for the long-finished works for which they duly accepted and signed all the papers and invoices. In this way, they threaten the normal operations of not only ours, but also several other companies from Serbia, Montenegro, Turkey and several other countries that worked or are still working as subcontractors for them in Portonovo", said one of the businessmen whose the company demands significant amounts from "Azmont" and "Pizzarotti".
"Vijesti" is familiar with the documentation that confirms the interlocutor's statements, but he and his other colleagues, to whom the Azerbaijanis and Italians owe money, are not ready to present this story to the public in more detail.
"Azmont" categorically denied to "Vijesta" last month that they have any debts towards any company involved in the Portonovi project.
"The Pizzarotti company is a separate business entity and we have no insight into their finances. Specific questions regarding the same should be addressed directly to them. At this time, there are no pending court or arbitration proceedings related to the contracts. All court and arbitration records are open to the public and easily verifiable. "The company has no debt to any company or subcontractor", they claim in "Azmont".
Even after almost a month, "Vijesti" did not receive answers to the questions addressed to the management of the Montenegrin daughter - the company "Pizzarotti", the company "Pizzarotti Montenegro" from Herceg Novi. It is interesting that this company, which has been the main contractor since 2015, does not have its own website, e-mail address in Montenegro, but only has a landline office phone in Herceg Novi, which no one answers. That "Pizzarotti Montenegro" has no financial problems and should be able to regularly pay business partners (subcontractors) is shown by the data that last year it had a profit of 15,9 million euros, and the total retained earnings compared to previous years is 26,2 million.
According to the business report submitted to the Tax Administration, "Pizzarotti Montenegro" ended last year with 10,57 million euros in working capital, of which 1,36 million in cash and cash equivalents. At the end of last year, the company had 5,85 million euros in short-term liabilities, while it had no long-term liabilities.
Bemax paid
According to "Vijesti" information, "Bemaks" from Podgorica is among the rare subcontractors who were owed money, but managed to collect their claims. That company has been engaged in Kumbor since the beginning of 2013, when it demolished and removed the buildings of the former military barracks worth 7,65 million euros, and then until this year it carried out various works on low-rise and high-rise construction worth 61,5 million euros.
In Bemaks, they were not ready to tell "Vijesti" whether they had difficulty collecting their money from the Italians and Azerbaijanis.
"We would like to thank you very much for the interest you have shown in the affairs of the company 'Bemax'. As for the questions raised, you continue to work and investigate as you have been doing until now when it comes to the company 'Bemax'", they stated in the answer from that company.
"News" did not respond to questions about business relations with "Azmont" and "Pizzarotti Montenegro" from the companies "Termosistem" Podgorica and "Aquamont" Belgrade, which, according to reliable information, are among those demanding larger sums of money for the work they performed. in Portonovo.
From the Podgorica company "CAU", which is one of the main planners and providers of consulting services in Portonovo, they did not want to announce the total value of the work they performed for "Azmont" and "Pizzarotti Montenegro", nor whether they have unpaid claims from those partner. They explained that they have been working with an investor for several years, with whom they have an excellent business relationship.
Pizarotti transfers penalties for delays to subcontractors
Although "Azmont" officially claims that the works on Portonovo are not delayed compared to the planned dynamics, that the entire complex will be completed and opened by the end of this year, the documents that "Viesti" had access to, show that this is not the case. A few months ago, "Azmont" charged "Pizarotti Montenegro" substantial penalties due to delays or inadequately performed works.
The Italian company "redistributed" its entire obligation to a dozen domestic and foreign companies that, as subcontractors, carry out work in Portonovo, "cutting" off each of them, in proportion to the volume of work they perform, their share of the penalty payment, which ranges from several thousand to several hundred thousand euros.
This angered some of the companies even more, considering that they have not been able to get the money they earned for a long time. The problem of non-payment of subcontractors has escalated to the extent that a number of them have already initiated lawsuits against "Pizzarotti" and "Azmont" before the Montenegrin courts, while another part of dissatisfied companies opted for international arbitration.
Briv Construction says they are owed money
From the company "Briv Construction" from Kotor, which performed numerous hydraulic construction works, as well as low-rise and high-rise construction works, they confirmed to "Vijesta" that they have unpaid claims, but they were not ready to talk in detail about the figures and mechanisms for their collection.
"There are certain disputed issues that have not yet been resolved, which include unpaid claims. We hope that in communication with the investor and the main contractor we will soon resolve the remaining disputes", they said from "Briv Construction".
They explained that the Portonovi have been engaged in the project since 2014 and that the successfully completed work recommended them for later cooperation that lasted until the beginning of 2020.
"We have successfully implemented all entrusted tasks applying the highest standards in the construction industry. As for the dynamics of the works and the agreed deadlines, it must be admitted that some of the works were prolonged due to circumstances beyond our control. "We contracted engagement on the project in one part directly with 'Azmont', while the other part was contracted with 'Pizzarotti Montenegro,'" they said from "Briv Construction".
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