Ten companies that manage 22 small hydroelectric power plants (MHP), from the business of selling electricity in previous years, until the end of last year, showed an accumulated profit of over 21,5 million euros, the Action for Social Justice (ASP) announced.
The ASP stated that ten companies obtained these jobs through a subsidy scheme at the expense of Montenegrin consumers.
As they said, the records include ten companies that first started to deal with that business and are entitled to subsidies for a period of one more year to the next eight years.
"Hidroenergija Montenegro" from Beran is leading among these companies, which manages eight MHPs, and by the end of last year it had accumulated a profit of around nine million euros," the announcement says.
It is stated that the company "Kronor" has two MHPs, and has shown an accumulated cash of about 3,6 million, while the consortium "Small Hydro Power Plant Mojanska" has two MHPs and already 2,9 million accumulated profits, and "Igma Energy" with two MHE showed accumulated cash at 1,5 million.
"At the same time, these ten companies generated employment of 77 people, and 'Kronor' is the leader with 19 employees shown, which is unusually more compared to other companies, which show from four to nine employees," it is stated in announcement.
The ASP pointed out that it is realistic to assume that those records also include managers, that is, directors.
"The MHE business was developed at one time by the government of the Democratic Party of Socialists, and these jobs were mostly obtained by people close to the top of that party based on political, family, nepotism and friendship," ASP said.
They stated that the business scheme included the granting of concessions for the production of electricity from MHP for a period of 27 to 30 years, and the concessionaire gets the right to subsidies in the first 12 years, which are paid by consumers through electricity bills, and a part is allocated from the state treasury. which is practically the same for citizens.
The ASP added that, after 12 years, in which they can exercise their right to subsidies, or switch to the market (when it is more favorable for them), the price of electricity from MHP is paid according to market conditions.
"At this time, the companies 'Hidroenergija Montenegro' and 'BB Hidro' (half owned by Blažo Đukanović) are generating income according to market conditions, which they switched to after the sharp jump in electricity prices in the past. The rest use incentives, it follows from what the regulatory agency shows," they said from ASP.
As they said, according to official data, 33 HPPs were built based on the incentive scheme.
"They were built mostly in the north, where the locals have been pointing out for years that MHPs have destroyed their rivers," the ASP pointed out.
They added that, in addition to electricity from MHP, subsidies are currently being paid for two large wind farms (Možura and Krnovo), as well as several solar power plants, which are all on electricity bills.
The ASP said that the Ministry of Energy and Mining recently passed a public debate on the very harmful Draft Law on Renewable Sources, which includes new subsidies for consumers, which they will pay for electricity produced from various renewable sources, which are expanding due to technical development.
"Under the guise of meeting the appropriate percentage of electricity production from renewable sources, which Montenegro has no problem with, the Minister of Energy Saša Mujović is clearly trying to provide subsidies to many private companies (known and unknown) at the expense of consumers," the ASP stated.
They said that the Minister of Energy and Mining is inclined to support private businesses more than the interests of citizens, which he is obliged to protect, as he showed last week during his visit to the Podgorica Aluminum Plant.
"When he publicly advocated for the state to help this company, without saying a word about a series of controversies and serious suspicions of abuses, which have been filling the media columns for many years about affairs related to the Podgorica company," ASP added.
The press release points out that solar panels have been developing significantly in the country lately.
"A few days ago, ASP stated that the former directors of Elektroprivreda Crne Gore, the Montenegrin electric distribution system and the Montenegrin electric transmission system, connected with private companies, who were given jobs while they were at the head of state-owned companies, also entered that business," it is stated in announcement.
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