By 2040, Montenegro will reach the European Union average in terms of wages and purchasing power of citizens, as well as quality of life. This is the main goal of the proposed Spatial Plan of Montenegro until 2040, which was adopted by the Government yesterday.
This will, as stated, be achieved through the sustainable development of high-paying tourism while protecting the coastal zone from housing construction, the development of mining, processing industry, energy, as well as agriculture to the level of producing enough fruit, vegetables, dairy and meat products for our own needs.
The average salary in Montenegro is now one thousand euros, while the EU average is around two and a half thousand. Montenegrin GDP per capita is 11 thousand euros, while the EU average is twice as high. The purchasing power of Montenegrin citizens is at 50 percent of the EU average.
"Significant economic growth is expected, driven by the implementation of large infrastructure projects with positive multiplier effects, with the engagement of domestic resources, especially in the field of tourism. Although positive trends are expected in most sectors, the key growth generators are expected in the areas of transport, energy, tourism and agriculture," the Spatial Plan states.
Restrictions on the construction of apartments along the coast
The plan envisages the construction of all announced highways and expressways: Bar-Boljare, Adriatic-Ionian, a branch of the highway from Podgorica to Shkodra, from Andrijevica to Rožaje and Peć, expressways along the coast, from Podgorica to Nikšić and Šćepan Polje, and from Bijelo Polje and Pljevlja towards BiH and Sarajevo.
The plan recommends that municipal planning documents limit housing development within a thousand meters of the seashore, and that this area be used exclusively for the construction of luxury four- and five-star hotels. The goal is to increase the number of tourists from the current 2040 million to three million by 2,6, and the number of overnight stays from 15 to 20 million.
2.000 new gigawatts needed
The energy part of the Plan states that Montenegro will need an additional 2040 gigawatt hours per year from renewable sources by 2.000 to expand residential and tourist settlements and develop industry. This means that production should increase from the current 3.400 gigawatt hours to 5.400 gigawatt hours, with the probable shutdown of the Pljevlja thermal power plant after this period.
New gigawatts are planned to be achieved by increasing production from solar and wind power plants, but it is stated that these are unstable sources (production depends on the sun and wind) and that for the stability of the energy system, it is necessary to connect production from these sources with stable producers - reversible hydroelectric power plants and battery systems. It is indicated that urban planning and technical conditions have been issued so far for 38 new large solar power plants and seven wind power plants.
The hydropower plants "Komarnica" and "Kruševo", for which project documentation is already being prepared, are listed as essential for the future stability of the energy system. Energy projects for connecting the Slano and Krupac lakes, continued research and the possibility of using the Ćehotina, Morača and the Montenegrin part of Lake Bileć are also mentioned. Three gas power plants are also planned near the Port of Bar, at the Aluminum Plant in Podgorica and in Pljevlja, which will depend on future gasification.
It was also stated that the current oil and gas exploration in the Montenegrin seabed is not optimistic, but that it will continue because the discovery of these domestic energy sources would be a great development opportunity.
Brskovo in the plan with a questionnaire
It was also stated that mining can contribute to significant economic growth, but that companies should be directed towards modernization and a higher level of processing and utilization of mineral resources.
"Currently unprofitable exploitation of certain mineral deposits may be economical and highly justified in the future, due to increased demand and/or technological development related to mining and metallurgy. Therefore, it is very important to preserve areas where mineral resources have been discovered, as well as promising areas for further geological research," the plan states.
The lead and zinc mine on the Mojkovac side of Bjelasica is still in the Plan, despite last year's termination of the concession contract and the government's announcement that it was abandoning it due to environmental demands and protests from locals.
"In the Bjelasica mining region, at the deposits: Brskovo, Razvršje, Žuta prla, Višnjica and Igrišta, detailed geological research has been carried out and economic reserves of this mineral resource have been determined. Considering the inconsistency of political, social and ecological attitudes, as well as the limitations for the potential exploitation of the explored sulfide polymetallic deposits due to the close proximity of the UNESCO-protected Tara River, the Biogradska Gora National Park and the Durmitor National Park, further research of known mineral occurrences in the Bjelasica mining region is questionable," the Plan states, but further research of this site is recommended.
Agriculture growth by 40 percent
The plan envisages an increase in arable agricultural land by at least 35 percent, while increasing the volume and value of agricultural production by at least 40 percent. This is planned to be achieved by protecting remaining agricultural land from further development and improving infrastructure towards rural areas. The aim is to increase the level of self-sufficiency in meeting domestic food needs, as well as to reduce the scope of import dependence, especially in the fruit, vegetable, milk and meat production sectors.
It was stated that diversification of the economy is necessary, so as not to rely on tourism, which is why the plan is to develop, or rather rebuild, the processing industry, especially food, wood, metal and pharmaceutical.
One paragraph for Velje Brdo
The "Velje Brdo" project, a new residential settlement of 40 thousand inhabitants, is mentioned in one paragraph in the Spatial Plan, with the note that it will be specifically defined by lower-level plans - municipal simple urban plans.
"During the preparation of the PPCG-2040, the Government of Montenegro launched an initiative and made a decision to build a residential settlement in the Velje Brdo area, with the aim of providing a certain stock of apartments under affordable conditions and with control from the state level. At a more detailed/lower planning level, spatial capacity, infrastructure equipment and protection of the area will be defined, with the aim of implementing the project, which is defined as a project of public interest," the Plan states.
Demographic projections indicate that Podgorica (excluding Zeta and Tuzi) currently has 183 inhabitants, and that according to the plan, it will have 2040 inhabitants in 199.790. These projections are used to plan the infrastructure and other needs of Podgorica's citizens in the next 15 years.
A big beach, and a big construction site and a protected area?
The area of Velika Plaza, where the Government, together with an investor from the United Arab Emirates, plans to build a large tourist and residential complex worth 30 billion euros, is presented in two ways in the Plan, in a completely opposite way.
In the tourism section, it is stated that "Velika Plaza continues to represent the greatest potential for the development of an exclusive tourist complex, at the state, Primorje region and local community level."
"Future tourism development should be planned integrally in more detailed planning plans. The implementation of tourism development on Velika Plaza is possible according to the implementation phases, which are defined by the planning documentation. In doing so, it is necessary to take into account all natural limitations related to the protection of the area and the current level of seismic risk," this part of the plan states.
At the same time, Velika Plaza is listed as a protected natural monument, as well as a candidate for the internationally protected EMERALD area with the possibility of extending protection to “12 kilometers of beach and a 1.000-meter hinterland.” It is also listed as one of 32 sites in Montenegro that are defined as “areas of special interest for protection at the European level.”
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