Iković: If we don't organize, water bills and everything else will continue to rise due to the government's arbitrariness

If we don't organize now, water bills and everything else will continue to rise due to the arbitrariness of the authorities, not the will of the citizens, said Vuk Iković, a councilor of the Preokret movement in the Danilovgrad Municipal Assembly (MA) today.

He stated that he was submitting a statement on behalf of the opposition councilors in the Danilovgrad Municipal Assembly.

"Opposition councilors will help citizens collect signatures for an initiative to call a local referendum that will decide on the repeal of the decision to increase the price of water by 53 percent," Iković pointed out.

He added that signatures of support can be submitted on June 7, 2025, at the main city square from eight to ten o'clock, where opposition supporters will be with citizens.

"Why the referendum? The Danilovgrad Municipal Assembly adopted a decision that increased the price of water by 53%, almost doubling the price compared to Podgorica and Nikšić. This has placed an additional burden on citizens' budgets, at a time when more and more families are struggling with basic living expenses. Instead of normalizing the price through temporary subsidies and reducing network losses, the Municipality has chosen the easiest, but also the most unfair path - increasing prices at the expense of citizens," said Iković.

According to him, this price increase was not made due to new investments and expansion of the water supply network, but rather due to an increase in the salaries of employees in the Water Supply Company, which should increase, but not by digging into the pockets of citizens.

"The citizens said no - but the government is not listening to them. After the Parliament did not accept the citizens' initiative to overturn this harmful decision, the opposition councilors' request to call a referendum was also rejected. That is why now the citizens, with the support of the opposition councilors, are launching a new initiative - this time with the aim of deciding for themselves in a referendum," Iković stated.

He said that in the referendum, citizens will decide clearly and loudly - for or against the abolition of price increases.

"Who is responsible? The Danilovgrad Waterworks loses more than 80 percent of the water in the network, in other words, around 570.000 euros of water is stolen and wasted every month. Instead of solving this systemic problem and thus increasing the salaries of employees, the Waterworks management and the Municipality have decided to make up the difference - by increasing prices," said Iković.

He said that if the initiative is adopted and the majority of citizens vote in favor, water bills will be reduced by the amount of the subscription fee from January this year.

"This is a direct way to return what was unjustly taken from us and prevent further increases in the price of irregular services. It is unacceptable that the water from our yard is more expensive for us than for our neighbors. More than half of users in Podgorica drink water from water sources in Danilovgrad, and the citizens of Danilovgrad pay 46 percent more for drinking water than the citizens of Podgorica. If we do not organize now, water bills and everything else will continue to rise due to the arbitrariness of the authorities, not the will of the citizens," said Iković.

He also said that water is not a luxury, but our basic right.

"We call on all citizens to support the initiative for a local referendum and to fight together for fair and responsible management of public goods," said Iković.