Vučinić challenges the competition, the selection of the director is pending: The issue of the management of the Customs Administration has been unresolved for more than two years

The selection of the Director of the Customs Administration has not yet been completed because one of the candidates, Maja Vučinić, challenged the legality of the public competition before the Administrative Inspection, which is why the Ministry of Finance decided not to make a final decision until the inspection supervision is completed.

The Ministry of Finance told "Vijesti" that Vučinić initiated proceedings before the Administrative Inspection of the Ministry of Public Administration and that she was recognized as a party in those proceedings.

"The Ministry of Finance has informed the government of the above circumstances and the reasons why it was deemed justified to wait until the inspection is completed before taking further action," the Ministry of Finance said.

One of the most important administrations will be without a full-time director as of the end of December 2023.

Vučinić was appointed acting president in July 2024 and since then her acting mandate has been extended every six months.

Nebojša Kaljević, Maja Vučinić, Siniša Raičević, Miroslav Raonić, Predrag Radovanović and Gojko Kalezić applied for the position of Director of the Customs Administration, and in June, after the procedure was completed, the Human Resources Administration forwarded the selection list and the report on the progress of the candidate screening process to the Ministry of Finance for further action. Kaljević has since withdrawn his candidacy.

Vučinić is the current acting director of the Customs Administration, candidates Raičević, Raonić and Kalezić are her colleagues from the Administration, while Radovanović is a secretary at the Ministry of European Affairs.

At an electronic session in early July, the government, which it did not inform the public about, authorized Jelena Đukić, Assistant Director of the Customs Administration in the Sector for Excise, Taxes and Revenue Collection, to coordinate with the Customs Administration until the status of that administration is regulated in accordance with the law, because Vučinić went on maternity leave.

"Following the procedure conducted by the Human Resources Administration, the Ministry of Finance was informed by one of the candidates - Maja Vučinić - that she had initiated an inspection procedure before the Administrative Inspection of the Ministry of Public Administration, challenging the legality of the conducted public competition. We were also provided with a decision recognizing her status as a party in that procedure. In such a situation, we believe that it would be premature to continue the selection procedure and, in particular, to make a final decision before the competent authority determines all relevant facts and circumstances," said the department headed by Minister Novica Vuković.

They added that in such a procedural situation, they believe that it would be premature to take further action in the procedure for selecting the Director of the Customs Administration, and especially to make a final decision.

"The above approach ensures full respect for the principles of legality, transparency and contributes to decision-making based on complete and properly established facts. Undertaking further activities before the completion of the inspection procedure could lead to premature decision-making without complete and properly established facts, which is not in line with the requirements of legal and proper conduct of public authorities. The Administrative Inspection, within its legal powers, may determine possible illegalities or irregularities in the procedure and order their elimination, and its findings may also have an impact on further action in the selection process," the Ministry of Finance states, adding that the goal is to conduct the procedure legally and to make a decision that could not be subsequently called into question.

The Ministry said that, bearing in mind that an inspection procedure has been initiated, which is still ongoing, and which may have a direct impact on the legality of the conducted competition procedure, all further decisions are conditional on confirmation of the correctness and legality of the procedure itself, and that the goal is to complete the procedure in a manner that will be legal, transparent and based on fully established facts.

In December 2024, Vuković withdrew the public competition for the appointment of the Director of the Customs Administration, explaining that “the need for the immediate filling of the aforementioned position has ceased”. “Vijesti” then had access to Vuković’s decision, which did not explain in detail why the need to fill this position had ceased. This competition was announced by the Human Resources Administration at the request of Vuković’s department on 22 November 2024. At the end of 2023, the Government and the relevant Ministry of Finance made a decision to separate the single Revenue and Customs Administration into two separate institutions - the Tax Administration and the Customs Administration, which to this day operates in an acting capacity.

In December 2024, Vuković withdrew the public competition for the election of the Director of the Customs Administration, explaining that 'the need for the immediate filling of the previously mentioned position has ceased'. 'Vijesti' then had access to Vuković's decision, which did not explain in detail why the need to fill this position had ceased.