Summer successful, winter depends on the state: Medenica claims that the Kolašin ski center was visited by 30 percent more guests than last year

The Kolašin 1600 ski center was visited by 30 percent more guests this summer than last year. According to the director of the Ski Resorts of Montenegro (SCG), these are Bojan Medenica for "Vijesti", results that far exceed the expectations of the state-owned company's management.

However, after the failed winter season, the results of the tourist summer cannot provide financial security, so generous financial assistance from the state is still expected.

"The 2025 summer tourist season is underway, which has shown that the mountain is increasingly alive in the summer, as shown by the results that are above expectations. When it comes to visits to the ski center, it is about 30 percent better than last year. We have tried to make this summer much more eventful, diverse and richer. What is most important is that each of our guests leaves with beautiful impressions," Medenica points out.

He claims that he has fulfilled the promises he made when he took over as head of Serbia and Montenegro in early April, and that job rationalization has been carried out. Also, the director says, since that period, employees have received five salaries, but the August salary has not been paid.

"What I announced upon taking up the position of Acting Executive Director of SCG, and which was also the only way to save the Ski Resorts of Montenegro, I did myself. We were forced to rationalize in every way, a new systematization and regulations on salaries were adopted. SCG has 63 employees. Since I took up the position of Executive Director, in addition to salaries to employees, we have also managed to pay out around 40.000 euros based on lawsuits that SCG lost in the previous period. However, all of this is not enough without financial assistance from the state."

He says that he expects state aid in September and that this is a condition for them to prepare for the upcoming winter season as smoothly and as well as possible.

Medenica claims that, in addition to these needs, there are also significant claims against the company from an earlier period.

He expects that by the start of the winter tourist season, the repair of one of the poles on the cable car that connects the infrastructure of the state and private Kolašin 1450 Ski Center will be completed.

The six-seater was unsafe to use last season due to the collapse of the terrain around one of the pillars, and was not operational. The collapse of the terrain was caused by work by the private company Ski Resort Kolašin 1450, and as the Serbian and Montenegrin authorities later said, “weather conditions and heavy rains in June” worsened the situation.

It is planned that Ski Resort Kolašin 1450, a company Zoran Ćoć Bećirović, is fully financing the rehabilitation of the terrain around one of the six-seater pillars. The selection of a contractor is underway, through a tender announced by a private company.

"The situation with pillar 4, on the K7 cable car, is under the control of the Ministry of Tourism, to which I would like to thank for its support. As we have been informed by our colleagues from Ski Resort 1450, the selection of a contractor is underway. The works on the rehabilitation of the pillar should ideally not last longer than thirty days, so I am sure that this problem will also be resolved... We have a clear vision of how to develop future ski centers in Mojkovac and Bijelo Polje, as well as to position the Kolašin 1600 Ski Center in the place it deserves in the world of ski lovers and the mountains themselves. Our goal is clear - SCG, a responsible and serious business, must be the brand of the north and all of Montenegro. Although we are currently going through a thorny path, I am confident in the prospects of this company."

For businesses to be "in the black", state aid of 1.8 million is necessary

The Financial Plan and Annual Work Plan of Serbia and Montenegro for 2025, adopted by the Government, stated that it is necessary to provide funds for the design and preparation of project documentation, as well as the execution of works on the construction of an artificial lake and an artificial snowmaking system on two slopes next to the ski lifts.

They need 1,8 million euros in state aid in order for the state-owned company to end this year with a positive result.

The document explains that "the costs of maintaining ski infrastructure, especially the multi-purpose sports infrastructure that Serbia and Montenegro possess, along with undeveloped accommodation capacities at the ski center, are far higher than the revenues generated from the sale of ski tickets."

"Also, the lack of an artificial snowmaking system further contributes to the fact that ski ticket turnover has decreased. That is why, as stated in the decision of the Agency for the Protection of Competition, European regulations and the practice of the European Union member states are that these companies can be granted state aid of up to 15 million euros for each individual project (for each ski resort). We point out that all costs (maintenance, servicing of ski resorts) are the same for Serbia and Montenegro as for other companies that manage ski resorts in Europe and the surrounding area, and which are granted state aid of several tens of millions of euros every fiscal year," it is written in the Financial Plan and Annual Work Plan.

SCG states that the most important factor for achieving the expected business results is the artificial snowmaking system, "without which the length of the winter season cannot be adequately and realistically planned."

Also, as explained, by putting the garage into operation and making it available for use, "it will help the revenues of that state-owned enterprise."