The Prime Minister of Montenegro, Milojko Spajić, said that in the fight against corruption there must be no untouchables, no selectivity.
He said at the seventeenth National Anti-Corruption Conference, organized by the NGO Network for the Affirmation of the Non-Governmental Sector (MANS), that the country will have a tax police.
He pointed out that he is working with American partners on "edge" reform of finding persons who are essentially owners of companies or NGOs operating in Montenegro, which would help prevent money laundering.
"We will also discover persons from Russia and other countries who are sanctioned and are using loopholes in our current system," Spajić said.
He pointed out that he will consider the option for the state to buy the company "Port of Adria", and that he will look for partners according to NATO standards, who will help to professionalize the port.
He reminded that a new strategy for the fight against corruption was adopted, a new Council for the fight against corruption was elected, a modern Law on Lobbying was adopted and a Law on Whistleblowers was planned...
He said that a year ago, they said that the rule of law, along with the improvement of citizens' standards, was the Government's key priority.
Spajić said at the 17th National Anti-Corruption Conference that after many years of stagnation, the country has unblocked the European road.
He said that, among other things, a strong move was made against corruption in education, as well as with changes to the Law on Salaries in the Public Sector.
MANS organizes this year's Anti-Corruption Conference as part of a project that is implemented with the support of the European Union, the National Fund for Democracy (NED) and the German Foundation for International Legal Cooperation (IRZ).
Spajić said that entering the Single Euro Payment Area (SEPA) has numerous benefits, and that they expect other Western Balkan countries to join as well.
He pointed out that they expect significant results from the Law on Confiscation of Property, which is being worked on by the Ministry of Justice.
Ćalović Marković: Party recruitment is the most visible level of corruption
MANS executive director Vanja Ćalović Marković said that party employment is the most visible level of corruption, which all citizens understand.
She pointed out that she will not accept it and that it is not true that it is in the mentality of Montenegrins to be corrupt.
"This government can do it, because it has a majority that allows Montenegro to change from the roots. The first thing that needs to be struck is the property acquired by crime, which continues to destabilize the system, and allows them to remain free and sends the message that corruption pays," she said.
She pointed out that the government's political priority was economic recovery, but that if citizens do not have the conditions to live with dignity, those who are capable will leave the country after joining the EU.
"With institutions like this, the police, the judiciary, the prosecution, that will not happen".
She pointed out that it is important to clean the parties from criminal influences.
Satler: Without progress on Chapters 23 and 24, there will be no EU membership
The Ambassador of the European Union in Montenegro, Johan Satler, said that it is no secret that corruption has a huge economic cost, that it has a negative impact on economic growth, and that it is also present in the EU.
He said that for the final benchmarks in Chapter 23, Montenegro "needs much more".
He pointed out that next week they will most likely have an intergovernmental conference, and that, in order to close the benchmarks, work must be done at a similar or faster pace.
He said that it is important to send the draft Law on the financing of political parties and campaigns to Brussels by the end of the year.
Satler said that he believes that this has been a good year, that much needs to be done, and that without progress in Chapters 23 and 24, there will be no accession to the EU.
Rajzing Rajnke: Nepotism prevents public administration from serving citizens efficiently
US Ambassador to Montenegro Judy Reising Rejnke said that progress towards the EU has been made, but that more needs to be done.
She pointed out that the first step is to expose corruption, stating that no country is immune to corruption.
She said that Montenegro has the opportunity and systemic support to fight against the challenges of implementing difficult reforms: "These reforms are not easy, but they are necessary".
The ambassador said that nepotism makes it impossible for the public administration to effectively serve the citizens, and that the reform of the public administration should be considered.
Rising Rejnke said that the US will use everything to crack down on criminal activities, including sanctions.
She called on politicians and citizens to unite in the fight against corruption.
Great Britain's ambassador to Montenegro, Dawn McCann, said that the fight against corruption is something that all countries can unite around, and that Montenegro will have the support of Great Britain on that path.
The Ambassador of France to Montenegro, Anne-Marie Maske, said that in the past months they worked for Montenegro to create its own framework to, among other things, fight against eco-chemicals.
Ambassador of Italy Andreana Marsela said that she hopes to soon share the document that is being worked on in Italy, how the "Guardia di Finanza" system might look like in Montenegro.
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