Collected one of the 12 million disputed loans from 1999.

Since October of last year, the Employment Service has managed to collect about one million euros out of a total of 12 million euros of debts based on unreturned loans distributed since 1999, "Vijesti" was informed by this institution.

Since 1999, the institute has distributed 8.723 loans for self-employment worth 48 million euros. The total claims of the Institute on the basis of those loans and favorable interest amounted to EUR 54.187.804,21, however, EUR 12 million of that amount was not returned within the stipulated deadlines and a decade and a half later.

In September of last year, the former Management Board of the Employment Agency revealed that there were hidden claims of 12 million euros of loans issued that were never repaid, nor did the previous administrations of that institution raise the issue. On the initiative of the then president of the Board of Directors Dejan Vojvodić an urgent order was given to the banks, through which the loans were disbursed, to initiate their immediate collection.

Since then, the procedure of reminders and forced collections on behalf of the Institute has been initiated by banks that had a contract with the Institute on so-called commission work during the periods of loan issuance and who were then paid in advance to monitor and collect these loans on behalf of the Institute.

"Uncollected total receivables as of May 20.05.2024, 11.094.572,33. amount to XNUMX euros", the Institute announced now, which means that in the past seven months since the initiation of forced collections, about one million euros have been collected from these collections.

Most of these loans were distributed by commission through Prva banka, formerly Montenegro banka which is now NLB banka, former Podgorica banka whose legal successor is Crnogorska komercijalna banka.

Someone protected a thousand debtors

The winners of those favorable loans were supposed to transfer to the Institute by fiduciary - a pledge, the right to some real estate of greater value than the issued loan. However, although some paid only one installment, forced collection against over a thousand users was never initiated by the management of the Institute or commission banks. Since then, six directors and several presidents and board members have changed.

At the beginning of April of this year, before the end of the mandate, the new Government dismissed the board of directors who discovered these illegalities and initiated forced collection.

Former director of the Institute Goran Folić in 2021, unilaterally terminated the commission contract with the First Bank on monitoring the realization of loans for self-employment, even though the Institute had already paid the costs for that service in advance. This contract was renewed last year.

"After the conclusion of the Agreement, Prva banka started with forced collection of claims through public bailiffs. The Employment Office of Montenegro is in negotiations regarding the taking over of the case by the CKB, after the out-of-court settlement has expired. Regarding the claims from the loan agreement that the Employment Institute of Montenegro took over from the former Bank for Development and Montenegro Bank, after the liquidation or bankruptcy, the employees of the Institute deliver notices to the users in accordance with the conclusion of the Management Board", it was stated in the Institute's "News" ” when asked what they are doing to collect this money.

Any credit for political votes

The former president of the Board of Directors of the Institute, Dejan Vojvodić, told "Vijesta" in November of last year that they have cases where loans for self-employment in the amount of 15.000 euros have been paid, and the beneficiaries have not returned even one hundred euros since 2005. He also pointed to the possibility that these loans were used for political or party needs.

"The practice of false promises that loans will be forgiven or cancelled, and in return giving political votes, is being stopped. These days, we have various complaints from citizens that they were 'promised' by some political entities that the loans were written off, canceled and that they would not be returned. Loans for self-employment must be returned to the state coffers. The question arises as to what the previous management and board of directors of the Institute did, what did they take care of, if not state property. I believe that there should be responsibility at all levels, and there must be responsibility for omissions and damage caused," Vojvodić said at the time.

If the pledge and mortgage is properly registered, there can be no statute of limitations

Considering that 25 years have passed since these loans were distributed, that some banks, through which they were distributed and which had the obligation to collect them, have ceased to exist or have gone bankrupt, there is a risk of statute of limitations or the impossibility of collecting part of that of state money.

"If the statute of limitations for a monetary claim occurs, the provisions of the Law on Obligations of Montenegro prescribe that a creditor whose claim is secured by a pledge or mortgage can be satisfied from the encumbered thing, if he holds it in his hands or if his right is registered in a public book", it was stated from the Institute to the question of "Vijesti" whether there may be a statute of limitations.

In November, in a statement to "Vijesti", Vojvodić publicly asked why the banks themselves did not react on time in the event of delays in accordance with the contractual obligations, and they were paid in advance by the Institute to monitor the realization of the placed loans.

"Did someone quietly let it go? Why did the Institute and the then Management Board as a collective body allow this? Have time-barred claims arisen in some cases and will someone be held responsible for such unconscionable treatment of state property?" said Vojvodic at the time.