Ulcinj needs billions, more than any other city, announced today Vlade Bojović, executive director and member of the Presidency of the Europe Now Movement (PES).
"Not only to make luxurious investments, but to solve the accumulated environmental, urban, infrastructural and economic problems. Ulcinj is the only coastal municipality in Montenegro that uses the equalization fund (for underdeveloped municipalities), and emotional cries and banners of environmental and party activists cannot change that," Bojović stressed in a statement he also published on the social network Facebook.
He added that before any discussion, it is important to know a few facts.
"1. The state of Montenegro owns 14 million square meters in the hinterland of Velika Plaza - which makes up as much as 70% of the total area. This space is completely unused, unlike the beach itself, which 'lives' only 3 to 4 months a year.
2. It takes up to three hours to travel to Ulcinj in the summer, due to the lack of adequate transport infrastructure – whether you are coming from the border or from the nearest airports.
3. The hinterland has been turned into an illegal landfill for decades, filled with solid and municipal waste, through which herds of cows roam freely.
4. Bojana, which borders the hinterland, receives fecal and industrial discharges, not only from Ulcinj but also from neighboring Albania.
5. Erosion of the Bojana River directly threatens the coast and the Great Beach itself.
6. Ulcinj lacks basic infrastructure: no sewer, no modern roads, no airport, no hospital - nothing that would enable normal functioning, let alone sustainable tourism.
7. The city has been devastated over the last three decades, through failed privatizations and uncontrolled construction.
"The tender for the lease of the 8th beach showed that the greatest interest was shown by tenants close to local political structures - which in previous years have not stood out for their conscientious management," said Bojović.
He said that Ulcinj no longer has the luxury of waiting.
"This situation clearly indicates that previous generations and the authorities of Montenegro and Ulcinj have not managed to manage their resources even remotely successfully. Serious planning, investments, and responsible people are needed to implement them," said Bojović.
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