The Agency for the Prevention of Corruption (ASK) projected its budget for 2025 at the amount of 2,69 million euros, and the State Audit Institution 3,567 million euros.
Tomorrow, the Committee for Economy, Finance and Budget should give its opinion on the budget drafts of these two institutions.
According to the legal procedure, the Board, on the proposal of KAS and SAI, determines their draft budget and sends them to the Government, which determines the final amount.
The Law on Prevention of Corruption defines that the money approved for the work of KAS cannot be less than 0,2 percent of the current state budget.
"Planned funds in the budget of Montenegro for 2025 for KAS are allocated to the Prevention of Corruption program, which will be implemented through subprogram I - professional and operational affairs and international cooperation in the field of corruption prevention (management and administration and international cooperation 1,29 million euros and subprogram II - prevention of corruption (verification of the prevention of conflicts of interest and verification of income and assets 1,40 million), is defined in the draft budget, which "Vijesti" has access to.
As explained, the KAS budget for 2025 was designed in accordance with the provisions of the Law on the Prevention of Corruption, which defined its competences, and the Strategy for the fight against corruption 2024-2028. and the Communication Strategy of KAS 2023-2025. Bearing in mind the scope of work performed by the Agency, Article 100 of the Law on Prevention of Corruption stipulates that the approved funds for the functioning and work of the Agency cannot be less than 0,2% of the current budget of Montenegro.
"The agency planned a budget for 2025 in the amount of 2.697.930,00 euros, which is more than in 2024 by 227.930,00 euros. The current budget of Montenegro in the Macroeconomic and Fiscal Policy Guidelines for the period 2024–2027. for the year 2025, it is planned in the amount of 1.335,12 million euros, which means that the budget of the Agency cannot be lower than 2.670.000,00 euros. With the planned money, it is possible to ensure the efficient performance of the Agency's scope of work in accordance with the laws on prevention of corruption, lobbying and financing of political entities and election campaigns", it is written in the explanation of the draft budget.
The KAS Council, on the proposal of acting director Dušan Drakić, on October 18 of this year adopted the Rulebook on internal organization and systematization, which provides for 98 jobs, namely: for Subprogram I - 40 jobs and for Subprogram II - 58 jobs.
"Gross wages and employer contributions for Subprogram I are planned in the amount of 674.746,00 and refer to 40 employees, and for Subprogram II they are planned in the amount of 940.500,00 and refer to 58 employees," the draft budget says. KAS, in which it is added that the money for gross salaries is planned in accordance with the laws on salaries of employees in the public sector and prevention of corruption.
It was clarified that according to Article 101 of the Law on Prevention of Corruption, employees of KAS can exercise the right to a monthly supplement to the basic salary in the amount of up to 30%.
"Expenditures based on the work contract are planned in the amount of 80 thousand euros and are planned to finance those needs or activities of the Agency, for which the necessary professional qualifications do not exist among the employees (certain technical support services and other extraordinary services), as well as the payment of royalties fees to experts hired by the Agency as needed. The agency will be forced to hire more people under a work contract due to the holding of local elections in certain municipalities, which will require an increased workload (monitoring of advertising of political entities in print and electronic media, going out into the field and monitoring advertising of political entities in local media, monitoring advertising of political subjects at the state and local level through billboards, through flyers and other jobs)", the draft budget states.
The budget of SAI, which is projected at 3,5 million euros, is divided into three subprograms, namely the implementation of audits, in the amount of 2,46 million (69,22 percent), strategic plan and training 570 thousand (16,1 percent) and Professional and operating jobs in the amount of 526 thousand (14,78 percent).
42,200 thousand euros were planned by the ASK for the compensation of Council members who, according to the legal procedure, have the right to a monthly compensation in the amount of 50 percent of the average gross salary in Montenegro in the previous year according to Monstat data
Out of the total amount, DRI is for the gross salaries of employees and contributions to be borne by employers in the audit implementation sub-program, which is planned at 2,17 million euros, and within the sub-program, professional and operational jobs are 307,135 thousand.
SAI Senator Nikola Kovačević, who presides over the Senate of this institution, explained at the Committee session on Monday that the projected budget for the next year is 7,2 percent or 239 thousand higher than this year's SAI budget.
"Given that the SAI plans to increase the number of audits in the coming year and include control of recommendations, it is necessary to plan for additional audit staff and money for official travel expenses. This is not money for daily wages, but for performing audit work in the field", Kovačević explained.
82 officials are planned for the Audit Implementation subprogram. The existing number of employees (66 employees + 8 employees whose employment is foreseen by the Personnel Plan until the end of 2024) is not sufficient, as assessed by the SAI, to perform regular tasks and activities from the institution's core business, so that in 2025 the planned filling of 8 positions, which relate to the missing audit staff, while in the sub-programme - professional and operational tasks of the SAI, the money provided for gross wages refers to 17 officials.
The committee did not comment on the draft budget of the SAI on Monday because there was no quorum.
Until March 28, to elect the president of the Senate of the SAI
Kovačević said that the SAI informed the Committee on the Economy that he will retire next year in less than five months.
"As the oldest, I am currently presiding over the Senate and have been doing so for two years and three months. In the event that they do not elect the president of the Senate by March 28 of the following year, there will be no one to preside over the Senate, convene sessions and make decisions in order for the institution to function. I ask that you keep that in mind and that this issue be resolved in these five months so that this important institution for the functioning of the system in Montenegro is not decapitated," said Kovačević.
Boris Mugoša (SD) said that the Assembly will decide whether to elect the president of the Senate soon or to wait for the competition for the vacant position now filled by Kovačević.
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