The President of the European Union Councilors' Club in the Capital City Assembly, Miloš Mašković, today submitted amendments to the Draft Decision on the Budget of the Capital City - Podgorica for 2025, requesting an increase in funds for tenants, athletes and socially vulnerable citizens, and a reduction in amounts for service contracts, travel and legal services, the European Union announced.
With the first amendment, as stated in the coalition's statement, Mašković is requesting a reduction in expenditures based on the payment of service contracts from the proposed 1.148.000 euros to 900.000 euros, given that, as he points out, this institute is used in a significant number of cases as a mechanism for hiring persons without clearly defined criteria and objective indicators of the justification of their hiring.
Mašković points out that reducing the budget item in question contributes to rationalizing costs, harmonizing budget allocations with real needs, and ensuring a greater degree of transparency in the engagement of temporary workers.
"With the second amendment, Mašković proposes reducing the funds earmarked for official travel from the proposed 160.500 to 130.000 euros, with the aim of rationalizing budget expenditures and harmonizing planned allocations with the principles of efficient and economical use of public funds. He states that reducing this budget item allows for savings without negatively impacting necessary administration activities, while at the same time raising standards of responsible and transparent spending of public funds," the European Union said in a statement.
With the third amendment, they add, Mašković is seeking to increase the amount of budget funds intended for transfers to individuals from the proposed 1.706.500 to 1.856.500 euros. The proposed amendment, the European Union explains, increases the funds intended for "other transfers to individuals" by a total of 150.000 euros, with the aim of providing additional support to citizens who are tenants, through subsidizing rent costs.
"The rising market prices of real estate and the costs of renting apartments in Podgorica significantly burden the household budgets of a large number of citizens, especially those with lower incomes. Data show that in the last few years there has been a continuous increase in apartment rental prices, while at the same time a significant part of the population, especially young people, single parents and people in a socio-economically disadvantaged position, do not have the opportunity to solve their housing issue through the purchase of real estate. The Secretariat for Social Welfare is already implementing certain forms of assistance to vulnerable categories of the population, but within the existing budget framework it cannot adequately respond to all citizens' requests. Increasing funds within this budget line allows for the expansion of the scope of subsidy beneficiaries, as well as an increase in individual amounts of assistance, which would ensure greater economic stability and improve the living conditions of those who are tenants," Mašković stated in the explanation.
According to him, this measure represents a direct form of social support and contributes to reducing the risk of housing insecurity, and its implementation can significantly improve the quality of life of citizens who are unable to independently bear high housing costs.
With the fourth amendment, Mašković proposes reducing the funds earmarked for the current budget reserve from 316.000 euros to 250.000 euros, with the aim of rationalizing budget expenditures and ensuring more efficient and transparent management of public finances, the European Union announced.
With the fifth amendment, the European Union councilor requests an increase in the amount of funds earmarked for the budget item "other services" from the proposed 2.267.300 to 2.297.300 euros. The proposed amendment increases the funds earmarked for the budget item "other services" by 30.000 euros, with the aim of providing additional financial resources for the functioning of the public kitchen and improving support for socially vulnerable citizens.
"Public kitchen services represent one of the key segments of social protection, as they provide basic existential security for persons in social need. Considering the rising cost of living, the increase in food prices and the increase in the number of users who depend on these services, it is necessary to provide adequate funding in order to guarantee the continuity and quality of the meals delivered," Mašković emphasized.
He added that by increasing funds from 780.500 euros to 810.500 euros, the Secretariat for Social Welfare receives additional budgetary capacity to cover the costs of food procurement, meal preparation and logistical operations of the public kitchen.
"This intervention enables the expansion of the scope of beneficiaries and the improvement of the conditions in which assistance is provided, thereby directly contributing to the improvement of the quality of life of the most vulnerable citizens. Given the increasing economic challenges faced by a large number of families, additional support for the soup kitchen through increased budget allocations represents a justified and necessary step towards strengthening social protection in the Capital City," stressed Mašković.
Councilor Mašković's sixth amendment envisages an increase in funds under the heading "other transfers to individuals", from 1.706,500 to 1.726.500 euros. The proposed amendment increases the budget funds earmarked for awards to athletes, with the aim of adequately evaluating the results achieved and encouraging the further development of sports in the Capital, the European Union points out.
"Athletes who achieve notable results in domestic and international competitions represent ambassadors of the city and the state, contributing to the promotion of sports and healthy lifestyles. However, the current budget allocation for their awards is not sufficiently aligned with the need for continuous motivation of athletes, especially in light of the increased costs of preparations, competitions and equipment. Increasing the budget position by 20.000 euros, or from 23.000 euros to 43.000 euros within the Secretariat for Sports, enables more adequate rewarding of sports achievements, which directly supports the development of talents and improves the status of athletes. These funds represent an important stimulus for young athletes and clubs who contribute to the image and sports spirit of Podgorica with their results. Investing in sports is not only a matter of awards, but also long-term support for the development of sports values, which is why the proposed increase in funds is fully justified and directed towards strengthening sports achievements in the Capital City," Mašković stated in the explanation.
With the seventh amendment, Mašković proposes to increase the amount from 150.000 to 200,000 euros under the heading "transfers for one-off social assistance". This amendment, the European Union explains, increases the budget funds for one-off social assistance from 150.000 euros to 200.000 euros, in order to provide more adequate support to citizens who are in a state of social vulnerability.
"One-time social assistance is a key instrument of support for individuals and families facing sudden financial difficulties, including cases of serious illness, job loss, natural disasters or other extraordinary circumstances. In previous years, an increased number of requests for this type of assistance has been recorded, indicating a growing need for additional budget allocations. Given the continuous increase in the cost of living and the increasingly pronounced economic challenges faced by socially vulnerable citizens, increasing the budget position enables a more efficient response to their needs and providing support to a larger number of beneficiaries," Mašković pointed out.
With the eighth amendment, Mašković proposes reducing the amount for the item "lawyer, notary and legal services" from €141,100.00 to €100.000.00, with the aim of optimizing budget costs and reducing expenditures for legal services that are not necessarily used in such large amounts, the European Union concluded.
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