Black on white: Through the amendment action, we will improve the budget, focus on social problems

This year's budget is passed in an extremely unfavorable situation, with many problems - from health to others, but any budget that can be improved is much better than the continuation of the current situation, announced MP Božena Jelušić from the Crno na bijelo list.

"With our amendment activity, we included the north and the south, but we focused above all on social problems and the needs of the most vulnerable categories of society", announced Jelušić in the Assembly at today's press conference, where it was discussed about the amendments that the parliamentary group will propose to the Proposal of the law on the budget of Montenegro for the year 2021. According to MP Suada Zoronjić, the parliamentary club Crno na bijelo will support the alimony fund and work to reduce the gap between the north and the south, which "came as a consequence of the policy of the previous government."

"I expect this government to make a step forward and invest equally in all regional parts of Montenegro. Specifically, in order for Bijelo Polje to become the regional center of the north, natural potentials should be valorized and presented to available tourists. This is one of the important issues, the solution of which will retain the youth and the able-bodied population who are leaving in large numbers, most often due to poor socio-economic conditions. In this sense, we will send an amendment for Cmiljača. The funds for that base station in this budget amount to about 80 thousand euros, and since the works have already been contracted and started, that much money for their completion is not enough. That is why we will ask for additional funds through an amendment to complete the water supply of that base station on Bjelasica, which is about eight kilometers long. The value of the contracted works is about 578. The second amendment that we will send refers to the Đalovića cave, where 2,5, 881 million euros. The construction of a transmission line is needed, from Ribarevin to the main transformer station in Bjelasica. The contracted works cost about 2021 thousand. The value of the works for those two development infrastructure projects in Bjelasica is one million four hundred and sixty-nine euros," said Zoronjić. The budget will also ask for the redistribution of money for the hospital in Bijelo Polje, where, as Zoronjić said, it is necessary to set aside about one million euros for magnetic resonance imaging, which "would mean a rebirth" for the treatment of the population in the north and relieve the clinical hospital center. "In addition, we will submit an amendment that would allocate funds for the construction of the fixed culture hall of the Mrkojevići Primary School in Bar," Zoronjić pointed out. Councilor of the Black and White coalition in Cetinje, Vladana Lompar, stated that the amendment will affect the Budget for XNUMX in order to provided funds that belong to Cetinje according to the Law on the Capital City.

"We are already very tired of promises and colorful lies and the overall attitude towards Cetinje. The capital of Cetinje should receive funds in the amount of 1 percent of the projected value of the budget of Montenegro for the year 2021, because anything contrary to that would be disrespect of the Law on the Capital. That's why we have decided to act according to the amendment and to request that Cetinje be allocated the entire amount of funds for the projects proposed by the Senate, i.e. about six million and 50 thousand euros, because the amount that is to be allocated according to the current proposal is about 3,7 million euros. Cetinje is located in such a situation precisely because of the leadership of the DPS, which is the government there, but I hope that they will be the first to support our amendment. I expect that help from all the deputies in the Parliament of Montenegro, and now we will see who is really ready to move from words to actions. I believe that so far we have shown a high degree of understanding, bearing in mind that this is a very challenging year, but the laws must be respected," said Lompar. MP Božena Jelušić noted that the other amendments refer to social policies, that is, to two services of the Ministry finance and social welfare.

"One is related to the family associate, which is a project supported by UNICEF and UNDP, which prevents the displacement of children from families, supports the placement of children in families and the retention of children in a foster family. It is a project that has shown incredible success, without which we would caused incalculable damage to vulnerable families. The second service concerns day care centers for children with developmental disabilities. Previously, the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare informed the public that municipalities will no longer finance the accommodation of users in day care centers, because local governments should determine the price, conditions and criteria. However, this decision poses a risk that day centers for children with developmental disabilities and their users will be deprived of accommodation, food and other needs during their stay. These two services serve the most vulnerable categories of society, and we believe that the missing funds are not large. The current budget provides about 60 million euros for these needs, and our amendment would allocate an additional 300 or 400 thousand euros". Jelušić also pointed out that the Crno na bijelo parliamentary group will still support the Alimony Fund Law, as well as that they have already made suggestions related to policies on gender equality.

"The URA has been dealing with that law since 2015, when it drafted the law. We will try to reach a situation where this type of service can be guaranteed to families who do not receive money on that basis. Finally, we made a suggestion that, as these "For the first time, we have program budgeting, not linear budgeting, it takes into account the so-called gender-responsive budgeting. This does not mean that women receive additional funds, but rather the consideration of all budget unit projects in such a way as to ensure equal equality for both sexes," concluded Jelušić.