In 14 ministries of the Government of Montenegro, by November 1 this year, 635.436,68 euros had been spent on contracts for consulting services. According to Ines Mrdović, director of the Action for Social Justice (ASP), the data on the large number of signed contracts of this type indicate that this position is being used to a large extent for "hidden" employment or engagements for questionable consulting services.
The analysis shows that a large number of contracts do not specify professional qualifications, or even education, that would recommend them for performing certain consulting jobs. On the other hand, in one ministry, a person with a high school diploma was hired as an expert.
It is also characteristic that in a number of contracts, the consulting task is defined very broadly, most often through the term "consulting", without specifying the specific areas that are the subject of expertise.
Fees for consulting services vary widely, ranging from a few hundred to several thousand euros. Consultants have concluded contracts ranging from ten days to several years of engagement in the implementation of EU projects.
The fee is refunded from EU funds.
In 2025, the Ministry of European Affairs concluded only two contracts for consulting services with individuals for the implementation of the European Territorial Cooperation program. The remaining contracts were concluded in 2023 and 2024. On this basis, 251.554,9 euros were paid. The compensation, as stated in the Ministry of European Affairs, is reimbursed from EU funds in the amount of 75 to 100 percent.
In this department, they concluded contracts exclusively in connection with the implementation of certain projects.
Miodrag Račeta is engaged for the period from 1 January 2024 to 31 December 2029 with a monthly salary of 1,762.24 euros net. Račeta works as a technical support to the EUSAIR Facility Point Sector.
Maja Radović concluded a contract with the Ministry in April 2024 as a Finance and Procurement Officer in the Joint Technical Secretariat (JTS), within the framework of the Grant Agreement for financing the project "Technical Support for the Management of Bilateral Cross-Border Cooperation Programs Montenegro - Albania and Montenegro - Kosovo 2021-2027." with a validity period until the end of that year. Her gross monthly remuneration is 2.200 euros, or 1.938,47 euros net.
Igor Jovanović was engaged under a consultancy services contract from 7 May 2024 to 31 December 2025. He performs duties within the Joint Technical Secretariat (JTS), within the IPA Cross-Border Cooperation Programme of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro 2021-2027. Jovanović is paid 103 euros gross, or 90,76 euros net per day of engagement.
Consultant Emil Kočan is also working on the IPA Joint Cooperation Programme of Serbia and Montenegro. He has concluded a contract that runs from 2023 to 2029, with a monthly net fee of 1.630,07 euros.
Dragan Đurišić was hired by the Ministry of European Affairs in 2023 with a contract that runs until 2029. According to the consultancy services contract, she works as a project manager on the implementation of the Interreg VI - A CBC Programme Croatia - Bosnia and Herzegovina - Montenegro. Đurišić has a monthly remuneration of EUR 1.762,24 net.
Borka Lješković concluded a contract with this Ministry on 19 October 2023, valid until the end of 2029. She is engaged as a national contact person for the Interreg VI-B Euro-Mediterranean Programme, 2021-2027. Her monthly remuneration is 1.762,24 euros net.
Attorney Siniša Gazivoda concluded a Legal Services Agreement with the Ministry of Defense, which was valid from March 17 to August 31, 2025. During that period, the contractor was obliged to provide complete legal support, including drafting agreements and contracts on military cooperation with other countries, preparing legal acts and submissions relevant to the activities of the Ministry, providing oral and written legal advice, including advice by telephone and e-mail, drafting legal analyses and opinions, and examining legal and by-laws of importance to the defense sector. The value of the contract is 9.675 euros, including VAT.
Consultant, then Secretary of State
During this year, the Ministry of Justice signed consultancy contracts with four individuals, totaling 26.061,89 euros. The consultancy contract with Branko Bošković was signed in July 2025 based on the Ministry of Justice's need for an expert analysis of hate speech and an assessment of the justification for introducing this criminal offense into the Criminal Code.
Nikola Zečević has been engaged since the end of September 2025 in the field of improving communication strategy, advising on crisis and media management, proposals for improving relations with the media and the public, identifying potential risks and opportunities for improving reputation, as well as preparing communication guidelines and recommendations for public appearances. The Ministry of Justice has engaged Ilija Vukčević under a consulting services contract to improve the legal framework for the collection of court fees and the establishment of the judicial police.
Sergej Sekulović, the current State Secretary at the Ministry of Justice, was engaged from February to April based on the need to lead the analysis of the European Commission report and recommendations for the Ministry of Justice. Sekulović was appointed State Secretary on 11 April, and after his appointment to the position of State Secretary, his contract was terminated.
The Ministry of Justice states that the remaining three consulting contracts expire at the end of the year and that they will then consider the need and possibility of further engagement of Bošković, Zečević and Vukčević.
In 2024, Dejan Abazović worked for the Ministry of Justice, under contract, on the draft of the Strategy for the Digitalization of the Judiciary of Montenegro 2024-2027 and the Action Plan for the Implementation of the Strategy for the Period 2024-2025. Abazović received 2.000 euros per month from March to July 2024. The previous Minister Andrej Milović hired Tea Dabetić for social networks last year under a consulting services contract. Her fee was 1.500 euros per month.
Dunja Nelević will perform the duties of a consultant for the Interreg project SA Connectivity at the Ministry of Maritime Affairs from April 15, 2025 to December 31, 2027. For her expert services, she will be paid 590 euros gross per month, or 19.500 euros, which is the total contract amount.
Ivana Femić, a specialist in Serbian language and literature, was responsible for developing the PR strategy of the Ministry of Maritime Affairs. The contract was concluded for the period from 16 June to 31 August 2025 and a total of 1.200 euros net was paid for it. Under the contract for consulting services, Ivana Popović, MA, B.Eng. in Chemical Technology, a permanent court expert, worked at the Ministry, whose obligation was to develop technical specifications for printing forms on the qualifications and special qualifications of seafarers. She will be paid 300 euros for this work.
"Providing professional support"
In June, the Ministry of Diaspora concluded a contract for consulting services with Miodrag Vuković. This concerns “providing professional support in the development of the Informator in the period from June 10 to June 20, 2025”. Vuković, “with a completed higher education”, was paid 177 euros for this service. Eldar Komar, under the Contract for Consulting Services, performed tasks related to “providing professional support in the development of a strategy for cooperation with the diaspora”. He was paid 700 euros for one month of engagement.
The Ministry of Diaspora has also hired Himz Rovčanin for "work related to the development of a program for converting Excel spreadsheets into XML format on employee earnings and a program for converting net amounts to gross amounts with the calculation of taxes and contributions for 2025. The contract for 1.000 euros was concluded for a period of 10 days.
The Ministry of Spatial Planning, Urbanism and State Property concluded a total of eight individual consulting contracts.
This department, for a fixed fee of 1.000 euros, hired Prof. Dr. Veljko Radulović to analyze and evaluate the competition entries for the selection of projects to represent Montenegro at the 2025 Architecture Biennale in Venice.
In addition to the Ministry of Diaspora, Himzo Rovčanin also worked for the Ministry of Spatial Planning, Urbanism and State Property for a month. His task was to develop a program for recording and calculating depreciation of fixed assets, importing data from Excel spreadsheets and training officials in using the program. He was paid 800 euros for these services.
Zvezdana Drašković, a specialist in tourism management, provided her expert services in the area of implementation of the Law on Construction of Facilities from March to December. Her monthly fee was 800 euros until August, and then increased to 1.000 euros.
With a monthly fee of 750 euros, Nataša Boljević, a consultant with a high school education, worked on the development of an Action Plan for establishing records of state property.
IT support to the Minister's office
The Ministry has signed a contract for consulting services with Jelena Raičević, a civil engineer, to develop and implement a sector analysis for NGO projects. Raičević will receive 2.400 euros for three months.
Željko Božović, a graduate spatial planner, will be in charge of preparatory activities for the development of planning documents for the Ministry of Spatial Planning, from October until the end of the year, with a monthly fee of 1.000 euros.
During the same period, Barbara Vuković, an architecture specialist, will perform tasks related to issuing building permits, for which she will receive 1.000 euros per month.
Dejan Đorđević, a geodesy engineer, worked from April to July this year, among other things, on the preparation and implementation of a public procurement of satellite images for the territory of Montenegro. The contract was concluded with a monthly fee of 1.000 euros.
The Ministry of Regional Investment Development and Cooperation with Non-Governmental Organizations submitted a total of seven individual consulting contracts.
Petar Vučinić, for whom no occupation or education is listed, worked at the end of 2024 on the development of an Action Plan for managing the processes of obtaining and evaluating bank guarantees in tourism projects for the amount of 4.800 euros.
Uroš Raičević, a graduate engineer in information technology and systems, performed IT support tasks for the Minister's Office, developed application systems, and provided professional assistance and IT consulting from April 10 to May 31, 2025. His monthly compensation was 800 euros net.
Šejla Salković, a master's degree in social work, provided expert support in the field of regional development as a consultant. She was paid 2.400 euros net for three months of work.
Goran Jovetić, Doctor of Economics, was engaged in the development of the Draft of the Revised Regional Development Strategy of Montenegro (2023-2027) from July 31 to October 1, 2025. Jovetić's total remuneration was 5.000 euros gross.
Džemal Lekić, a graduate economist, will work on the digital transformation of this Ministry from September 15th until the end of the year, for a fee of 5.500 euros, and Samra Kurpejović, a sanitary technology engineer, for a monthly fee of 800 euros net, will provide "expert support in regional development" from October 1st to December 31st, 2025.
Anto Stanišić, a business security specialist, signed a contract for consulting services for the period from 13 May to 13 August 2025. His expert contribution relates primarily to the analysis of the use of EU funds, expert support to the Minister's Office and advisory services in the field of security and EU funds, for which he was paid 600 euros net per month. The Ministry of Tourism submitted two contracts for consulting services.
The company D&M Konsalting DOO Podgorica provided services to improve the transparency of the work of the Ministry of Tourism for a month, for which 2.400 euros excluding VAT were paid.
A 12-month contract has been concluded with the Law Firm Terzić & Živković from Podgorica. A total of 9.667 euros including VAT will be paid for the provision of legal, advocacy and legal consulting services.
The Ministry of Human and Minority Rights signed a consultancy contract with Miloš Bešić in 2024, whose profession and education were not specified. Bešić, as stated, worked on the development of the Draft Minority Policy Strategy 2024-2028, as well as the external evaluation of the Minority Policy Strategy 2019-2023. The contract is worth 5.000 euros.
Last year, for a fee, Goran Đurović (occupation and education not specified) worked for the Ministry of Human and Minority Rights on the development of the Strategy for Interculturalism and Social Cohesion 2025-2028 with the Action Plan 2025-2026. Đurović is entitled to 5.000 euros net for the work performed.
This year, Fatmir Đeka's department hired Nada Drobnjak to prepare the combined 7th, 8th and 9th periodic report of Montenegro to the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD). This work was paid 800 euros. The Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation concluded 72 contracts for consulting services, worth at least 46.390 euros.
The most numerous contracts are those in which individuals are hired to verify the competencies and abilities of candidates for the election of school principals for a fee of 100 euros. A dozen consultancy contracts were concluded for work on the development of the Digital Competence Framework. As a rule, 350 euros net were paid for this work.
The Ministry of Culture and Media has concluded 33 contracts for consulting services, worth at least 21.448,05 euros.
The amount paid is subject to the contract with Miloš Knežević, a graduate civil engineer, who was hired to prepare the Terms of Reference for the Main Project of the Museum of Contemporary Art, the Natural History Museum and the Park of Culture and Art. For these works, according to the contract, Knežević will receive 6.500 euros net, or 7.262,57 euros gross.
The Ministry of Culture has also hired Danijela Đurović, a master's degree in ecology and environment, and former President of the Parliament of Montenegro. She signed a consulting contract that obliges her to work on monitoring and coordinating activities in planning and preparing the implementation of capital projects. The contract was signed for the period from August to December this year with a monthly remuneration of 900 euros net.
In June this year, the Ministry of Culture concluded a consulting contract with the Institute for Development and International Relations (IRMO) Zagreb to develop guidelines for innovating the Law on Culture and to draft the final document Analysis of the Implementation and Needs for Innovating the Law on Culture.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not conclude any contracts for consulting services this year.
High potential for abuse
Ines Mrdović, director of the Action for Social Justice, says that the Regulation on the Unified Budget Classification generally stipulates that this budget line includes payments for consulting services, projects and studies.
"However, over the years, money has been paid from this position for what is really a consultant's service, but also for what cannot be classified as consulting services. For example, it is justified if you hire an expert/consultant to monitor bond prices on the international market so that you can borrow at a favorable time, or hire international expert supervision to monitor the construction of a capital investment, but it is not justified if you 'hidden' employ people from this position, and hire an alleged 'consultant' to monitor your social media posts and post on those networks on behalf of the department," explains Mrdović.
The large number of signed contracts for consulting services in the ministries of the Government of Montenegro, according to Mrdović, indicates that this position is used to a large extent for "hidden" employment, or for engagements for questionable consulting services.
"There is a lot of talk in public about service contracts, which are a space for hiring politically, nepotistically and interest-related persons, but consulting services are less visible and then they are used. There are many cases where consulting contracts are also given for jobs that should be regular tasks of employees in the public sector. For example, a draft law needs to be prepared, so a consultant is hired first, and only then is a working group formed (which is also paid). Sometimes this can be justified, if it is about real expert knowledge, and sometimes it is absolutely not justified. Also, people are often hired because there is not enough trust in the expertise of employees in their own departments," explains Mrdović.
She believes that there are great possibilities for abuse, especially since the decision is largely made by the head of the authority (the minister).
"There is no real control of these services. This is the competence of the Budget Inspection in terms of control, but its human capacities are questionable, considering the small number of inspectors, the large number of budget spending units and the ratio of these services. It would be more appropriate, before creating annual budgets, to actually check the need to conclude all services so that they are not budgeted (often a 'surplus' of money is projected on the budget line), because when they enter the budget, then the head of the body is 'covered' by the legal norm," warns the director of the Action for Social Justice.
Mrdović cites the example of a budget inspector who went to inspect a state body, and shortly afterwards got a job at the very body he was supposed to inspect.
The Ministry of Public Administration, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Transport, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management, Ministry of Labor, Employment and Social Dialogue, Ministry of Social Welfare, Family Care and Demography did not respond to the request sent via SPI, and an appeal was filed with the Ministry of Ecology, Sustainable Development and Development of the North due to the calculation of the cost of the fee.
"Vijesti" obtained the data for this article using the MANS application "Ask institutions".
And a musician as a consultant
Through a consulting services agreement, the Ministry of Diaspora has engaged Aleksandra Bogdanović "as a musician at the Awards Ceremony for Prominent Diaspora Members - Expatriates and Diaspora - Expatriate Organizations, which will be held at Villa Garica on July 25, 2025 as part of the cultural event "Diaspora Days 2025".
The contract was concluded for the amount of 400 euros.
Đeljošaj "blacked out" the names
The Ministry of Economic Development (MER) anonymized the identity of experts with whom consulting contracts were concluded, providing only initials instead of names and surnames. The department headed by Nik Đeljošaj paid out 139.251 euros on this basis this year.
In mid-December last year, MED signed a contract with the Ministry of Economy to develop a study based on public opinion research on the impact and opinion of citizens on the “limited price” measures. The value of the contract is 7.990 euros net, 9.067,98 euros gross. The Ministry of Economy paid this department 7.500 euros net for the analysis of economic data from August to December this year.
The Ministry of Economic Development hired CG for a fee of 7.980 euros for six months of work on creating the Ministry's visual identity on social networks and the website, producing video materials to promote the Ministry's work, providing expert advice on media strategies, and maintaining public communication channels.
DA was engaged to improve communication, promotion and availability of public information about the Ministry's activities in Albanian. The contract was signed for four months for a total of 2.400 euros net.
The consultant to the Ministry of Internal Affairs provided expert advice, opinions and proposals for the purpose of creating appropriate policies for the Ministry from September 1 to December 31, 2025. He was paid a total of EUR 3.200,00 net for this type of service.
In the last three months of this year, VT provided consulting services for an intensified media campaign to promote the importance of the negotiation chapters under the Ministry's jurisdiction. The fee for this work amounted to 4.000 euros net.
This ministry has also engaged companies. For example, “DALE COMPANY” doo Nikšić was engaged to monitor and analyze price movements of goods and services on the Montenegrin market; the fee was 7.990 euros excluding VAT.
“STUDIO LASSO” doo Podgorica, for a fee of 7.990 euros, worked on the analysis and comparison of product prices in retail chains on the domestic market, regularly published the results of the analysis on the platform www.cijene.me and ensured special emphasis on products with limited prices and other promotional campaigns of the client.
The Ministry of Economic Development has also concluded two contracts for consultancy services for work on the implementation of the Interreg program. The Ministry of Economic Development, for a fee of 8.243 euros, worked on the development of the Blue Economy Action Plan of Montenegro, within the B-VISA 2030 project. The largest amount of funds was committed by the MEM under the contract with “Projekt” doo from Kotor. This company, specialized in project management and analysis, engaged for a maximum of 36 months, will be paid a total of 80.949 euros for support in the implementation of the SA SKILLS project.
Fees in European projects are reimbursed from EU funds in the amount of 75 to 100 percent.
They erased the names, left a signature
The Ministry of Energy and Mining submitted consultancy responses in which the service provider was anonymized, but a signature was left at the end of the contract. The department headed by Admir Šahmanović first signed a one-month contract with Radmila Damjanović worth 3.000 euros net for the provision of technical/advisory assistance in the transposition of the “Energy Community Electricity Integration Package” into national legislation. Damjanović was then engaged in advisory assistance in the drafting of the Law on Cross-Border Exchange of Electricity and Gas, assistance in the preparation of the final draft of the law, preparation of a table of compliance with EU regulations and preparation of reports and analyses. A two-month contract was signed for the amount of 3.000 euros net.
Milena Vukeljić was hired for four months to provide guidance on personnel and administrative matters, process harmonization, advice and opinions, and harmonization of the Ministry's legal acts. She was paid 1.200 euros net for this.
The company Econ doo worked for 45 days on the analysis of energy entities in Montenegro for the period 2023-2024, updating the analysis from 2023 and preparing expert analyses for the Ministry. The contract was signed for the amount of 7.800 euros net, or 9.438 euros with VAT.
Consultant Nina Grgić was engaged to prepare an economic analysis in the field of mining, an analysis of concession fees, an analysis of production and proposals for improving the concession system. She was paid 4.000 euros net for her one-month engagement.
Jelena Dajević worked as a consultant on the drafting of by-laws for the Energy Law. She was paid 4.500 euros net.
Gutić hid information about compensation
The Ministry of Social Welfare, Family Care and Demography protected the information on compensation when submitting the contract for consulting services.
This department concluded a six-month contract with Vladimir Cicmil, a graduate engineer, to coordinate the “entire implementation process of the Regional Housing Program”.
Isad Kurpejović, a graduate economist, will advise authorities on exercising pension and disability insurance rights from October 1st until the end of the year, for the needs of the Directorate for Pension and Veterans' and Disability Protection.
The department headed by Damir Gutić has also hired Saša Klikovac, a master's degree in communication studies, who will work from September until the end of the year to advise employees on crisis communication strategies.
Snežana Rajković, a graduate economist, will provide advisory services on data entry and record keeping for the field of veterans' and disabled persons' protection in the ISSS system for the last three months of this year.
Bonus video:
