The Municipal Heating Company ended last year with a loss of around 7,2 thousand euros, which, according to those responsible, was influenced, among other things, by the payment of default interest, which the Pljevlja Coal Mine charged the company for the first time due to untimely payment of coal from the previous period.
Company director Vlado Tošić He said that Rudnik uglja Grijanju calculated default interest in the amount of 29.077 euros on receivables from the previous period for coal delivered to the city boiler house.
"The loss-making business was mostly affected by the calculation of late payment interest from the previous period, as well as the reduction in service user bills in October last year by 60 percent," Tošić stated in the work report for last year.
He said that he had no information that Rudnik had so far charged any municipal companies default interest for late payment.
Opposition councilors in the local parliament also claim that this is the first time that the largest Pljevlja company has charged default interest to a local company.
"This is the first case of a state-owned company taking a local company into the red. I have not heard of anyone in Pljevlja charging default interest, especially not in such an amount. I was taken aback by the information and could not believe that the Coal Mine charged default interest. Instead of donating certain quantities of coal to a local company, due to the damage it causes to the environment, it charges default interest. I highly doubt that Aleksandr Potroshenko "He paid for the coal he borrowed from the mine, not to mention that he was also charged interest. The Italians didn't do that either when they were in charge of the Coal Mine," he said. Saša Ječmenica, independent councilor in the Municipal Assembly.
Member of DPS Dragisa Sokic He said that default interest should not have been allowed to be charged and that the municipality should have intervened and found a basis to transfer money to Grijanje so that the company could pay its debts.
He also claims that no municipal company has ever been charged default interest.
"The boiler house probably owed more or less before, but no default interest was charged. The liberators came and the first thing they thought of was charging their city and its citizens and service users default interest. That will affect the price of heating. It was not directors from Podgorica, they were not brought in from outside, but our people from Pljevlja did it. We see how sensitive they are to local problems. We know how local companies function now and that they all have problems. It would be fair to the people of Pljevlja for the price of coal for heating to be the same as the price for the Thermal Power Plant. There should be as much local patriotism from those people who manage the Mine, to accommodate the local company and the citizens of Pljevlja and for that price to be significantly cheaper for the citizens. We know that the Coal Mine is the company that has the greatest impact on the environment in Pljevlja. We should influence the return of this money, it probably cannot be done, but it is something that is unacceptable and that these citizens do not deserve," said Sokić.
Haris Alavac believes that Rudnik Grijanju should donate certain quantities of coal, and not charge default interest.
Rudnik confirmed to "Vijesti" that they charged default interest from Grijanje, but they claim that they did so in accordance with the law.
They point out that the new management inherited the debt of the Grijanje company based on unpaid obligations for the purchase of coal.
"Since its establishment, the Coal Mine has traditionally been oriented towards the community and society through numerous allocations and donations, thus demonstrating a clear commitment to social responsibility. On the other hand, business relations with companies and organizations are clearly defined by contracts that specify the rights and obligations of the contracting parties. This is also the case in this case. The new management of the Pljevlja Coal Mine inherited the debt of the local company Grijanje based on unpaid obligations for the purchase of coal. In order to show understanding towards that company and to meet their needs, at the end of last year we signed an Agreement on the repayment of the debt in installments in the amount of approximately 206.000 euros with accrued default interest due to failure to settle the obligations within the prescribed period. Despite our good will, and in accordance with the agreement, the Grijanje company has not paid any of the due installments so far," Rudnik uglja replied to "Vijesti".
They remind that default interest is a legal obligation arising from failure to settle a due claim within the legally prescribed period.
"Any other interpretation would represent illegal and irresponsible business, which would cause damage to the company. The Pljevlja Coal Mine does not want to get involved in local internal political squabbles, to work in any way to the detriment of the company, and also does not want to comment on the good or bad business of local companies, because these are RUP's business partners for whom we have understanding at all times. Our company is focused on socially responsible business in the community, so last year alone we allocated over 1.500 tons of coal to socially vulnerable citizens, associations, pensioners, sports clubs, humanitarian organizations and religious communities, which we will continue to do in the coming period," the Coal Mine responded.
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