Raičević: During the visit to the Port of Bar, it was stated that Montenegro was "Colombia in the Balkans"

Members of the Parliamentary Committee for Security and Defense, during today's visit to the Port of Bar, noticed that business is being conducted without proper control over the warehouses of the free zone, and the same happens when it comes to private warehouses.

This was announced by the deputy of the Movement for Change Vladan Raičević, saying that the goal of the visit was to assess the effect of the measures taken to "prevent tobacco smuggling through Port Bar".

It was established, as he said, that Montenegro, "by all accounts, was Colombia in the Balkans".

"What we saw today is the consequence of the terrible crime of the previous government, which does not inspire confidence that tobacco smuggling has stopped. Namely, we noticed that business is being conducted without proper control over free zone warehouses, and the same happens when it comes to private warehouses. The paradox is that the heart of Luke Bar was sold to a private company. The fact that the company within the port is better equipped than the port itself, but also privatized under extremely suspicious circumstances, is really confusing. Everything that the Movement for Change has continuously warned about in the previous few days is proving to be correct! We must be aware that a country that has a port is a rich country. Our port is used for private pockets, and the state is the one that should manage the port", said Raičević.

It is incomprehensible, as he said, that "there is no customs padlock" on warehouses with stored goods, and that "there is no customs stamp on any warehouse, just as it is illogical that one port has two entities."

"The Revenue and Customs Administration must properly record the entry and exit of goods, which we doubt is being done adequately. Legal solutions are inconsistent with the protection of state interests, and they should be changed as soon as possible, in such a way that warehouses will be state-owned, and private individuals will have the right to lease warehouses. Also, it is necessary for the workers of the port of Bar to work on loading and unloading, in order to have a clear view of what is happening. Tactical protection did not exist, and with the new management, small but not sufficient changes began to take place," he emphasized.

He added that there are "big administrative barriers when it comes to diverting cargo, in terms of waiting for several days, which depresses clients."

As Raičević said, members of the Security Committee will initiate a new visit, where representatives of the Customs and Revenue Administration will be present, who "will be asked to provide insight into the documentation of the entry and exit of goods", as well as an explanation "why the warehouses were not sealed with goods".

Cigar smuggling is the same, whether it leaves the port packed in furniture or refrigerators. That practice must be stopped once and for all, and those responsible prosecuted," he added.

Based on today's visit, as he said, a new control hearing is on the horizon for the former director of the Revenue and Customs Administration, the current director, as well as the deputy prime minister.

"In the end, he stated that Montenegro was, by all accounts, Colombia in the Balkans, which is confirmed by numerous world security structures, so it is not surprising that the deposed regime is afraid of its own downgrade, which they are trying to remedy locally, of course, without success," he concluded. is Raičević.