The operations of the state-owned Kolašin 1600 Ski Center will be marked by challenges and uncertainty in the coming period, after another disappointing season caused by a lack of snow.
This was assessed for "Vijesti" by the executive director of the Montenegrin Ski Resort. Djuro Milošević, pointing out that, at the end of this winter, they cannot be satisfied with the fact that they have only had 20 ski days at that ski resort in two years. However, they point out that they have settled all outstanding obligations related to taxes and contributions for 2024, as well as for January of this year.
"Net earnings for February have been settled, as well as most of the liabilities to creditors and suppliers. However, given the dynamics of further annual revenues, we face a great challenge and uncertainty. The plan and program for 2025 was adopted by the Board of Directors and sent to the Government for further procedure. We started the 2024/25 ski season on December 27th with excellent attendance at the ski center. In December, 4.000 ski passes were sold, i.e. 200.000 euros were generated, which significantly helped us end 2024, which until then had not had a single ski day," explains Milošević.
Skiing was possible for the first six days of January, he recalls, and then there was a lack of snow until January 15. After that, there were five more ski days, so 6.500 ski passes were sold in January and 4.900 in February. Only two days in March was skiing possible at the state ski resort.
Cable car not working, delay with new ski lifts
Milošević also recalls the numerous infrastructure problems that accompanied the winter tourist season, but denies that the responsibility for this lies with the management of Serbia and Montenegro.
The K7 cable car, which was supposed to connect the infrastructure of the private and state-owned ski centers, was not in operation due to a problem with one of the pillars, which was endangered by the investor's works, as "Vijesti" wrote about on several occasions...
"Statistically, we had 20 quality ski days in two seasons and we cannot be at all satisfied with what we achieved. If the K7 ski lift had been in operation, due to the very location of the slopes it serves and their configuration, we would have had significantly more ski days, and thus better results. We will seek compensation for damages and lost profits from the investors of the facilities near the ski lift, whose work caused the movement of pillar no. 4," Milošević announced.
According to him, the responsibility for the fact that even two new ski lifts did not work during the ski days cannot be placed on the management of Serbia and Montenegro. Milošević reminds that the construction process was carried out through the Capital Projects Administration, and that the procedure for issuing a usage permit is conducted through the Ministry of Tourism and Local Government.
"The building permit was issued in September, and the deadline for the works is six months. We expected the procedure to be completed before the start of the season, but, unfortunately, the lifts were only put into operation in mid-February, while SCG had no formal way to influence the contractor."
Milošević emphasizes, as has been repeated several times by that state-owned company, that "without an artificial snowmaking system, there is neither planning nor implementation of the ski season."
Municipality criticizes, snowmaking a priority
He says that five days ago they had a meeting with the president and vice president of the Municipality of Kolašin, Petkom Bakić i Vasilije Ivanović, at which "concrete steps towards issuing urban planning and technical conditions (UTU) for the implementation of the artificial snowmaking project were agreed upon."
Milošević announces that "meetings will be intensified in the coming period" and that they expect "successful cooperation towards the realization of this most important project, both for Serbia and Montenegro, and for the city of Kolašin itself and its tourism industry."
The meeting in the municipality followed after Ivanovic wrote a review of the past season on Facebook, accusing the "engineering staff" of Serbia and Montenegro of caring more about ski resorts in the region than about the Kolašin one. He also stated that technical documentation for a key phase of the snowmaking project at the state ski center was missing.
The Municipality did not inform the public about what they discussed with representatives of Serbia and Montenegro, and Ivanovic was not willing to explain in more detail to "Vijesti" the criticisms directed at some of the management of Serbia and Montenegro.
"The public will be informed in a timely manner" about the way in which processes will be "accelerated" in order to achieve the conditions for the implementation of key phases of snowmaking, announces Ivanović.
He, however, says that the fact that the state ski resort was unable to use its entire infrastructure this winter caused damage of several hundred thousand euros, and that the damage to the rest of the tourism industry in Kolašin is multiple. He also announces the formation of a coordination body, whose task would be to ensure that a tourist winter similar to this one does not happen again.
"The municipality will use all its resources to help Serbia and Montenegro. Initiatives have been launched to form a coordination body, through which cooperation between the local administration and Serbia and Montenegro will take place, and to work on ensuring that the next winter tourist season is prepared in a quality manner. The public will be informed in a timely manner about all activities that will solve existing problems," he said.
At the beginning of November last year, the government made a decision to grant non-refundable financial assistance in the amount of 100.000 euros to Serbia and Montenegro. As announced at the time, these are funds necessary for the company's regular operations, given the losses during the 2023/2024 season.
The government also approved 200.000 euros in aid to that company in April last year, to pay salaries for that month...
The government changed the Statute, Milošević claims it was due to personal conflicts.
On Thursday, the government amended the Statute of Serbia and Montenegro in the part concerning the conditions for the election of the executive director.
According to unofficial information from "Vijesti", this could also enable imminent changes at the helm of the state-owned company.
According to the amended Statute, the head of Serbia and Montenegro can now be someone with level VI of the national qualifications framework. In addition, it is also necessary to have “at least three years of work experience in jobs at the level of the required educational qualification in managerial positions or five years of work experience in jobs at the level of the required educational qualification”.
Milošević told Vijesti that the amendment to the Statute is “in line with the education system in Montenegro over the last 20 years.” He claims that one of the motives for the amendments is “the practice of personal scores.”
"Just as education has collapsed, the amendment to the Statute itself is completely identical to the view and understanding. Whether it is about SCG, Elektroprivreda Crne Gore, or any state-owned company, it is very frivolous to amend the Statute in terms of qualifications for identification conditions and add a VI level of qualification, but this is our reality and practice of personal calculations."
Milošević's term lasts until December of this year.
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