The Minister of Energy and Mining Saša Mujović announced that a solution for the Nikšić Željezara is in sight, but that perhaps due to legal dilemmas, another public invitation should be issued for the lease of Čeličana and Kovačnica, this time for 50 years.
"A solution is in sight, but we are far from euphoria and stressing that we have solved all the problems," said Mujović in the morning program of TVCG, as reported by the RTCG portal.
He expects that after the lease, in about a year, production could begin at the Steel Plant and the Forge.
He said that everything was done to solve the problem. As he points out, it was done step by step to see how much could be obtained from the Ironworks in favor of the workers.
The protector of property and legal interests previously gave her consent to the revised version of the contract for the lease of the Nikšić Željezara plant, which was agreed by the Electric Power Company of Montenegro (EPCG) with the bidder from Switzerland, the company "8B Capital SA", and according to which this company can lease the facilities of the Steel Plant and the Forge Plant. , but cannot acquire ownership rights in the factory in Nikšić.
Protector Bojana Ćirović officially confirmed to "Vijesta" on July 2 that she gave her opinion on the new version of the Draft Lease Agreement.
Originally, the Draft Agreement provided for the right for the Swiss company to acquire ownership rights and this did not pass the EPCG Shareholders' Meeting last week.
The consent of the Protectorate means that EPCG, if the Government gives its consent, can sign a new draft contract with the Swiss company, which provides for a 50-year lease.
Mujović also says that according to the opinion of the protector, the Board of Directors of EPCG is responsible for whether what was offered in the public invitation is in accordance with the law and what is foreseen in the contract with the Swiss company.
The minister states that in the public invitation the lease was offered for five and ten years, while in the contract with the tenant it would be 50 years.
"EPCG lawyers should assess whether this is in accordance with the law and the public invitation", said Mujović and called for another legal review.
"There is a hidden message from the Protector of Property and Legal Interests that EPCG lawyers should assess whether the text of the public invitation is in accordance with what is stipulated in the contract, it might be legally the cleanest to cancel even this invitation, to launch a new public invitation in which to say - we are not going for five or 10 years, rather than 50 years. Perhaps from a legal point of view, that should be the cleanest solution," Mujović said.
He also believes that leasing the Steel Mill for 50 years would be economically profitable. The minister also says that he will consider this story over when the workers are satisfied.
There will not be room for all 280 workers
The idea is to employ 150 workers in Čeličana and Kovačnica, as Mujović says. As he said, the workers will be taken care of while respecting the collective agreement.
"Currently, there are about 280 workers, but not all of them are qualified to participate in the production process. Unfortunately, some former managements did not behave responsibly towards the Ironworks, there was unplanned, relative and political employment. Because of all this, objectively, all those 280 workers are not qualified to participate in the production process and to be in those two plants," Mujović said.
This, as the minister points out, is a good way to see who can handle the jobs. Other workers, he said, could be assigned to protection, maintenance, or overhaul of HPP.
"Those who employed those people without qualifications proved irresponsible. We must take care not to produce new social cases. It would be populist to say that everyone will be satisfied, but it is important that the largest number of workers are satisfied," Mujović concluded. .
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